Restless
by Jiko Teima
Summary: Fai has always been an actor, but a confrontation from Kurogane threatens to send the curtains crashing down. [Yaoi] [KuroFai] [Complete See Author Profile for details]
1. Masquerade

Obligatory once per story disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Fai and Kuro-rin and the rest of them all belong to CLAMP.

Additional Warning: This story is SHOUNEN-AI, or at least it will be. If that's not your cup of tea, then please hit the back button at once and return to your regularly scheduled dose of Tsubasa RC. Thank you. : )

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Chapter 1: Masquerade

Pain shot through Fai's shoulder, forcefully awakening him from his heavy sleep. His mind was foggy as to what exactly had happened to him, yet at the same time it was sharp enough to be concerned, and to wonder what had become of his companions.

Fai found himself on his side on the floor, beneath soft covers and on top of a futon. He had always been one to toss and turn in his sleep, and sleeping on the floor usually made it even worse. He felt his right shoulder, noticing that it had been crudely bandaged. Fai supposed that he had probably tossed or turned the wrong way on it, and that must have been why it had hurt so much. His torso was also throbbing and bandages had been wrapped there as well. He had apparently been hurt very badly.

Like waking from a dream, the memories of the night before slowly returned to him. There had been a monster. It had been larger than anything they had ever seen in any other world, and far more destructive. The fearsome creature raised one of its massive arms high and just before it stuck, Fai vaguely heard Kurogane shout something at him. Fai never heard exactly what it was though, because he suddenly found himself flying into a building that would inevitably collapse around him.

He groaned as he tried to sit upright on the futon. It took quite the effort to keep from hurting himself even more, but eventually he managed to prop himself up on one elbow.

" What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Fai looked up to see Kurogane sitting cross-legged across from him. He wondered how long Kurogane had been there, watching him with that disapproving stare. Almost automatically, Fai forced out a smile.

" Hello there, Kuro-rin," Fai greeted cheerfully.

Kurogane looked away from him; or rather he outright refused to look at him. He said nothing and did nothing. Fai could almost physically feel the tension in the air, and it ate at him inside.

" So," Fai said, trying to force a conversation from Kurogane. " That was some battle, huh?"

Kurogane glanced up at Fai and sneered.

" I'll say," he agreed bitterly. " We lost."

The tension only grew thicker, but Fai smiled, understanding why. Kurogane was certainly a sore loser. From what he understood of the man, Kurogane was obsessed with becoming and remaining strong. The loss certainly must have been a low blow to his ego.

" That must have been hard on you, Kuro-tan," Fai mused airily.

" That creature we fought," Kurogane ignored the pet name for the moment, " had skin as tough as several layers of armor. Even with a sword I wouldn't have been able bring it down. Syaoran would have shattered every bone in his body trying to kick it."

Fai widened his eyes. It wasn't like Kurogane to admit his own faults. There was still something wrong. There was a certain malice in Kurogane's voice that almost shook Fai's confidence.

" Is that so?" he chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing that no one got hurt, ne?"

Kurogane glared hard at him with an intensity that could have outshone the fiercest wildfire. He rose to his feet and walked over to Fai's side.

" **You** got hurt, you idiot," Kurogane sneered. " **You're** the one who got hurt when **you** were the only one who had a way to protect yourself."

The second statement made the hair on the back of Fai's neck stand, but his unshakable mask of happiness didn't shatter once. Instead of changing his attitude, he tilted his head to gaze up at Kurogane.

" Huh?" he asked with a smile. " What do you mean, Kuro-chan?"

Fai didn't need to ask though. He had a feeling that he already knew just what Kurogane had meant.

" Don't play dumb!" Kurogane growled. " You know as well as I do that you could have beaten that creature yourself with your magic!"

" That's silly, Kuro-pon," Fai laughed. " You know I can't use my magic anymore."

It was a lie. It was a lie and they both knew it. Still though, Fai was locked in his smile, trapped in his false happiness. Kurogane wanted to rip that mask off of his face and shatter it into a thousand bloodied pieces, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. His hands made fists all on their own it seemed as his anger seethed.

Kurogane was barely aware of himself when he reached for Fai. He couldn't stop himself when his fingers wrapped tightly in Fai's blond locks and pulled. He couldn't explain it at all. Though that may have been a lie as well, because all Kurogane wanted in that moment was to see some kind of reaction in Fai. He wanted something real, not that fake smile he always wore.

Fai merely winced at the pain until Kurogane began to lift him by his hair. He was trying to pull Fai up on his knees, since Fai would not, or could not, do so himself. Kurogane was very rough with him, more so than usual.

" Kuro-wan, what are you doing?" Fai asked, sounding more desperate than he had meant to.

Normally a little hair pulling wouldn't have bothered Fai in the least. There was a certain contempt in Kurogane, a certain rage that would not cease. Kurogane pulled harder and crouched down to Fai's head.

" You're an idiot," he nearly shouted. " You nearly died out there and you wouldn't even help yourself! I don't care that you wouldn't fight that beast, but you would rather die than use your magic? Even to save yourself?"

" Kuro-pii, this hurts," Fai tried his best to both remain cheerful and dodge the question.

The effort was futile though. Kurogane was not letting go. If anything, if felt like he was pulling harder. It was hard to tell though, because all of Fai's pain had begun to blend together.

" Yet you can **still** joke about it," Kurogane said bitterly, " I-**HATE**-people-like-you!"

With each word, Kurogane violently shook Fai's head harder, hoping for some sort of reaction, even if it were a negative one. He watched as Fai bit his lip, refusing to let any real emotion out. Kurogane knew that he was pushing it, but he was so wrapped up in his raw emotions that he couldn't stop himself.

" You make me sick," he said, speaking his mind.

Fai winced again. He couldn't hide it any longer. Fai wanted nothing more in that moment than to break away. He wanted to break free of his fierce touch and run as far away as he could.

" Stop it," Fai said, loosing any cheer that had been in his voice. " This hurts, stop it…" His happy tone was not replaced by one of fear however. Instead, a certain malice of his own was building up, boiling up inside him.

All masks were gone. The masquerade was over. Fai raised his one good arm and clawed tightly at Kurogane's arm. This startled Kurogane, but he did not release Fai from his clutches. Fai shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to keep his rage under control, but just like a pot of boiling water on a stove, Fai bubbled over.

" KUROGANE, LET GO OF ME!" he shouted.

Strands of blue and white light circled around Fai, coming out of seemingly nowhere. They slithered like snakes up his chest and along his sleeve until eventually the lights danced around his fingertips, singeing Kurogane's arm every so often.

" Fai," Kurogane said with wide eyes, awestruck by Fai's sudden change in attitude and the appearance of his magic.

Most unfortunately for Kurogane, Fai had lost any ability he once had to be patient. Fai tensed considerably and screamed at him again.

"** I SAID LET GO OF ME!**"

Without any warning, all of the blue and white light traveled directly to Fai's palm and shot out at Kurogane. The blast was powerful enough to knock Kurogane away from him and into the wall.

Kurogane groaned and gripped his arm tightly, trying to stop the burning pain. Fai's magic had burned right through his sleeve, leaving behind a gaping hole. There were a few blonde hairs that remained on his fingers. He glared up furiously at Fai, ready to shout and curse, but he paused.

Fai looked absolutely horrified. His eyes were wide with fear of something Kurogane could not comprehend and he had one hand clasped over his mouth. He seemed to be on the verge of tears, yet he would not let himself cry.

All of this left Kurogane horribly confused. After all, if Fai would refuse to use his magic on an enemy, why would he attack a comrade? That aside, why did he look so terrified now? It didn't make any sense to Kurogane.

He watched carefully as Fai tried to stand again, but he couldn't prop himself up the right way. Eventually, Fai fell over, hissing as he landed on his wounded shoulder. It was obvious to Kurogane that he didn't have the strength to stand; yet he watched Fai try again and again, up and down, up and down again. Finally, Fai decided not to get up at all and curled up slightly on the futon.

" Hey," Kurogane asked gruffly. " What the hell was that all about? What's going on here?"

Fai didn't answer him. The thought that someone who was normally talkative and silly had grown silent and cold unnerved Kurogane more than anything could have. Kurogane had wanted to see Fai's true colors, but he hadn't expected anything like this. For once he hoped he was wrong, and that this was a mistake.

" Hey! I asked you a question!" Kurogane shouted.

Fai pulled the covers over his head and turned away from him. After a moment, he muttered a muffled response.

" Just leave me alone, Kurogane. Please."

Kurogane would have protested, but Fai's voice sounded weak and weary, as though he lost something dear to him. He believed in honor, so he irritably decided that he shouldn't kick a man when he's down, no matter how annoying he was.

With that on his mind, Kurogane rose and left without another word. Fai waited until he heard the door shut before he allowed any tears to fall.

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A/N: So how did you like it? Please R&R and I will try to get the next chapter out soon. : ) 


	2. Thespian

**Chapter 2: Thespian**

Of course, no one can hide under the covers for the rest of their life. Fai certainly did not plan to do that, so he was up within an hour. It was still very tricky to sit up properly, but he pulled it off this time.

Despite the Asian futon, the walls were brick. It was an interesting mix of oriental and western structure, something that Syaoran would probably have found very interesting. It was then that Fai realized that he didn't know where anyone else was. Syaoran and Sakura were nowhere to be found and Kurogane was long gone.

Fai sighed. There was something about Kurogane that had always made him slightly uncomfortable. Somehow he could see through every mask that Fai put on. He saw through every disguise and he could always see the filthy person that Fai really was. Kurogane had even seen Fai without any mask at all. He shuddered at the memory, ashamed that he had lost control like that. Instead of simply loosing the mask, Fai felt like Kurogane had stolen it. Now that he knew that Fai was capable of anger, there was no way that Kurogane would allow the show to go on. He wouldn't allow him to pretend to anyone, Fai was certain.

Old habits always die hard though, which meant that the show must go on. It must always go on, forever and forever. Fai was forever an actor, a thespian to the end, and the world--every world was his stage.

Sitting up had been the hard part. Fai used a nearby chair to pull himself up and onto his feet easily. Clothes had been left on the chair for him, folded sloppily. They were just a bit too big, but he decided that they would suffice. Denim pants hung off of his hips and he felt like he was swimming in the white shirt that had been left for him. There had also been a navy and white cloak that could have been a blanket with its size. It was far too warm for such a thing though, and thus Fai put on his smiling mask and headed out the door.

Fai counted himself lucky that he hadn't received any kind of major leg injury. At least this way he would appear fine, even if his shoulder and chest still throbbed in time. Even so, with a smile painted on his face, he walked down the stairs with a unique grace.

Wherever they were staying, it seemed very homey. Perhaps it was the brick that surrounded them on all sides, or maybe it was the fireplace that was lit in the kitchen that seemed to be welcoming anyone that happened to walk by. Either way, the air felt warm and friendly.

Fai found Syaoran in the kitchen, sipping from a mug he had found. It was interesting to see the boy in solitude. Usually he was by Sakura's side, always either guarding her or keeping her company. There was no length that Syaoran wouldn't go for her. Fai often wished he could be that strong as well.

" Hey there, Syaoran-kun," Fai greeted him.

" Oh, good morning Fai-san," Syaoran said, looking up at him.

" Morning?" Fai laughed. "How long was I out?"

" Since yesterday morning," he replied in his usual, nearly stoic manner.

This surprised Fai. He didn't think it had been an entire day. Plus, he knew that he must have woken up at some point. Fai subconsciously ran his fingers through his hair at the memory.

" That long, huh?" he chuckled.

Syaoran nodded and offered Fai a cup of tea. Suddenly thirsty, Fai said yes and sat himself down at the table.

" Apparently this place is called Nebanos," Syaoran said, pushing a cup towards Fai. " We found that out yesterday when we got this house."

Syaoran went on to say that the man that had given them this house had actually been running for his life, saying that they were crazy for wanting to stay. He gave them the house and everything in it free of charge, seeing as he would no longer need it. Apparently most of the town was rather frightened of the creature from the day before.

Fai took a long sip of his tea, feeling the heat race down his throat. It was soothing aftereverything that had happened.

" Are you feeling any better, Fai-san?" Syaoran asked. " You were hurt pretty badly. We were all worried."

Fai was certain that he could name one person that wasn't worried, but Syaoran was polite to a fault.

" I'm doing much better," he said with a smile. " Thank you for taking care of me."

" You're welcome, but I'm not the one you should be thanking," Syaoran admitted. " Kurogane-san did almost everything."

That couldn't have been right. Something must have been wrong with Fai's ears, because he couldn't have heard what he just heard. His eyes widened as he listened.

" Kurogane-san carried you the whole way here," Syaoran explained. " And when we got here he immediately brought you upstairs and, well, this is the first time I've seen you since then."

Carefully, Fai touched his shoulder, feeling the bandages through his shirt. Kurogane must have been the one who tended to his wounds. Somehow, that didn't make sense. No one would bandage someone, only to hurt them afterwards. Actually, that wasn't true. Fai knew someone personally who was like that, but to compare Kurogane to him would simply be insulting.

He thought of the clothes that had been left on his chair. Had Kurogane left them? Fai was under covers when he woke up, but somehow it didn't seem as though Kurogane was capable of being that caring. It left Fai feeling very confused.

" Where is everyone?" Fai asked, carefully catching his mask before it fell.

" Sakura is asleep," Syaoran said. " Mokona is upstairs somewhere, probably with Sakura, and Kurogane came down here about a hour ago and said he needed to 'step out for a minute'. He looked angry."

Of course he looked angry. Who wouldn't have been angry? Fai wondered to him if Syaoran had seen Kurogane's burned arm, or if Kurogane had said anything at all.

" Kuro-tako always looks sort of angry," Fai said with a grin. "It's probably nothing."

That was a lie. Fai knew what it was. He knew what it was and that it was his fault, but he was at a loss of what he should do. Fai had lost his head and now Kurogane was surely angry with him. After all, Fai nearly blew his arm off. An uncertain feeling crept up inside him. Fai decided that maybe if he found Kurogane, he would know just what it was he wanted to say.

" Do you know where Kurogane went, Syaoran-kun?" Fai asked. " I need to go talk to him."

" No," Syaoran said. " You should really go back to bed though. Take this opportunity to rest, since there's nothing to do right now."

" Syaoran-kun, if I sleep anymore I'll die," Fai laughed at his serious face, " I'll be fine."

" I'm serious," he said. " Besides, you still look very tired."

It was true, even with all of the rest he had gotten, Fai still felt exhausted. There was no getting by Syaoran though. When he was determined there was little that could stop him. Not that Syaoran could ever physically force Fai to his bed (that would have been Kurogane's job), but Syaoran would insist upon it until he went on his own.

Fai dramatically sighed and stood, using the table for support for his tired muscles. He pretended to cry and sob, turning his head away from Syaoran.

" Fine, Syaoran-kun," Fai pouted. " If you _really_ want me to leave then I'll go. Goodbye. Farewell!"

" Good night, Fai-san," Syaoran sipped his tea, unfazed by Fai's performance.

There was no use staying downstairs, so Fai made his way back up to his bedroom. He hadn't planned on going back to sleep, but the covers just looked so inviting, even if they were on the floor. Before he knew it his eyes were shut and he was drifting away from the world.

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Fai had a very vivid dream that morning. When he woke he could recall it with such astonishing clarity that he wondered if it were even a dream at all. It was more like watching something happen to someone else, as though he were a fly on the wall.

Ashura. He could see Ashura's face bright and clear. It was exactly the same as the last time they'd met. Nothing had changed. Nothing except his eyes anyway. They were open.

He was awake. Ashura smiled as though he knew that Fai was watching him.

His king didn't look thrilled about being encased in his own coffin however. So he did he only sensible thing he could do. Ashura raised his arms above him and blew a hole through the top of it, right through Fai's shield. Water began to pour in, but Ashura simply pulled himself up and out, swimming to the top.

There was yet another obstacle though. Chi still dangled above him, a net above the pool. It was astonishing what little effort it took to tear her apart. Ashura didn't even need to raise a hand to do it.

Fai wanted to cry out for Chi as he watched her split apart, but the words wouldn't form in his throat. He was a ghost in that moment, formless, shapeless, and voiceless.

Wasting no time, Ashura pulled himself out of the pool and crossed the room. He turned back once and only once. In that moment, he stared in Fai's direction, paralyzing him with senseless fear. He smiled cruelly as though to say, _Ah-ha. There you are._

Then he was gone, in a quick flash of light and magic. Fai could hear his own pleas for him to stop, but they sounded far away, as though it were someone else in trouble. The fear never left him though.

It was then that he awoke in a cold sweat. The fear was still there, the fear that Ashura's cold eyes were everywhere and yet nowhere. It was the fear that often left it restless at night, but never before had it felt so real.

After a dream like that, Fai wasn't sure he would ever sleep again.

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(A/N: Wow, thank you so much for all of your reviews! I still can't believe this story got the amount of reviews it did. I am absolutely amazed. Please R&R and I'll try and get the next chapter up soon. : ) ) 


	3. Acid Smile

**Chapter 3: Acid Smile**

There was a certain chaos in the marketplace of Nebanos. The ordinary shopkeepers had carts out, selling all kinds of things, clothing, food, and even some useless trinkets. The street was particularly glamorous, but itwas rather homey. It seemed as though everyone was out in the street that day, or rather everyone that had chosen to remain in the small town was there.

Kurogane found it easy to slip into the crowds and bury himself deep there, far away from the place he was staying at. He knew that if he remained there he would wind up killing someone, probably Fai. That man certainly had pissed him off. There was a fierce burn on Kurogane's arm, evidence of every lie that Fai had ever told about his magic.

It was hard to keep his burnt arm hidden from the crowd though. Once one person pointed it out another twenty would see it was well. "You poor thing, did the Tier get to you? That creature is ruthless, I tell you." " Hold on, let me bandage that--" " Oh, it ruined your shirt! Here, have this one, free of charge."

At first Kurogane had been irritated by this behavior. He didn't need any reminders of the fact that he had not only lost to that creature, but he had also been attacked by a mild-mannered imbecile (in fact, said imbecile had done the most damage). Kurogane slowly began to realize that they were doing this to _everyone_ who looked injured or hurt. The community was obviously very close, close enough to go out and help those in need, to go out of their way and give people whatever they needed. Kurogane remembered the old man who had run away from Nebanos and how he had just _given_ them his house and wondered if this is just what the people of Nebanos were like.

Either way, Kurogane decided it was still annoying. It was forgivable though.

The carts were decorated with bright colors and large, unfamiliar letters. Children ran back and forth, ducking in and out of large crowds. There weren't too many of them though. Many parents had probably removed their children from Nebanos, to save them from the Tier. If Kurogane peered off into the distance, he could see the wreckage from the other day. Entire buildings had been desecrated.

Kurogane gritted his teeth in anger, remembering who he had pulled from the wreckage. Due to his idiocy in battle, Fai had nearly been killed and Kurogane couldn't stand the way he played it off as nothing. After all, he was the one who had moved the rubble and dug his scrawny ass out of there. He was the one who carried Fai away from their battle, cleaned him up and tended to his wounds.

Of course, Kurogane would rather die than admit this to him. It wasn't something Fai needed to know and then he would have to answer pointless questions like " Why did you do it?" " Why didn't you leave me there?" and " Who knew Kurowan was that kind?" Kurogane didn't feel like he needed to answer such inane questions. After all, it wasn't as though he cared for Fai at all. Good deeds shouldn't need to be explained.

" Wow…it looks like there was a huge battle over there, doesn't it?"

Shivers shot down Kurogane's spine. Someone had snuck up behind him and he hadn't even noticed. That was immediately suspicious to him. Kurogane slowly turned around, ready to face some sort of assassin or crazed murderer.

The man before him didn't appear to be a madman, but Kurogane wasn't quite ready to let go of that assumption. Dark hair flowed around him in an almost feminine way and his smile didn't quite meet his eyes. His forehead was adorned with jewels, as though he was royalty, however what was strangest about the man was his clothing. He was wrapped in a cloak, despite the heat of Nebanos, and beneath it were black garments that strongly resembled Fai's clothing. There was a slight pang of recognition, but Kurogane wasn't sure where it had come from exactly.

" Though you have to wonder," the man said in a sly way. " What would attack such a poor little town?"

He smiled again and Kurogane wanted to stab him. There was something about the man that irritated him. Perhaps it was the mild resemblances to Fai that set him off.

" I suppose it's none of my business though," he said. " I mean, it's not as though I live here."

" What is it you want from me?" Kurogane asked roughly. " You might as well just spit it out."

" Well, aren't we in a rotten mood?" the man laughed as he stepped next to him.

Kurogane glared at the man, trying to pin down exactly what it was about this man that he instinctively resented, but it certainly didn't help that he had no concept at all of personal space. The man turned with the grace of a dove and the ferocity of a lion and stared into Kurogane's eyes.

" I'm looking for someone," he said, smiling all the while. " Do you know anyone that goes by the name of Fai D. Flowright?"

This statement made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and his face twist into a frown. Still, he kept his composure and spoke calmly. His annoyance was far from hidden though.

" Who the hell are you?" he asked.

The man bowed theatrically and laughed.

" I'm sorry," he said. " I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ashura."

Despite everything that had happened that day or the day before, despite how many hairs were pulled and how many arms were bruised, there was one thought that lingered in Kurogane's mind, or rather a series of thoughts. He could see clearly every time his smile had been fake and every time his face had turned a little pale when the name 'Ashura' was whispered. There were all of the moments where conversation became awkward and suspicious, and all of the times where Fai played it off as nothing. Then there was his face, Fai's horrified face after he had used his magic to fling Kurogane into the wall.

" Never heard of him," he lied.

Kurogane was never very fond of lying, but that didn't mean he wouldn't lie every once in a while. Ashura looked surprised, as though he hadn't expected such a response from him. His smile was back after only a moment though.

" Ah," he said. " I see."

He waved a hand and smiled as sweet as acid. It seemed as though behind his sweet smile there were hidden fangs.

" I suppose I should be on my way then," Ashura said. " I really need to find Fai."

Kurogane merely grunted. He had grown rather sick of Ashura and his irritating head games and was glad to see him taking his leave. There was a lingering concern though, and Ashura had already confirmed it. Once Ashura was gone, he would leave as well.

" Take care, Kurogane."

He merely mumbled a barely intelligible reply and watched Ashura take his leave. Ashura confidently had his back turned from him. Kurogane scoffed at this. If he had wanted to he could have killed the creepy bastard three times over by then. He had refrained though, telling himself that it was because of the curse Tomoyo-hime placed upon him.

Once Ashura disappeared into the crowds, Kurogane turned around. It wasn't as though he was worried about Fai. The damn wizard could take care of himself for all he cared. He was certainly powerful enough to. The marketplace was just getting too crowded, that was it. It wasn't because of Fai.

In his walk back to their house, the full weight of what Ashura had said dawned on him. It crashed through the top of his head and through the bottoms of his feet, crushing every bone. Kurogane had never introduced himself. How had Ashura known his name?

Kurogane certainly wasn't well versed in magic, or anything else from Fai's home world of Celes. All he was certain of was that this man, this Ashura was powerful. He was deadly powerful and he wanted Fai.

Suddenly Kurogane's walk broke into a run.

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(A/N: Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. I am SO sorry this didn't go up sooner. One of the fans in my computer broke and so I had a half-written chapter three on my hard drive just…sitting there, that I couldn't write. Thankfully, my computer is in working order now. Thank you so much for waiting. Anyway, I'll warn you now that this week is the ever-dreaded high school final exams week for me, so there might be another delay. Please R&R and I'll try and get the next chapter up soon. : ) ) 


	4. Hide And Seek

**Chapter 4: Hide And Seek**

When Fai came out of his room near noon no one questioned the bags under his eyes and no one sent him back to bed. Sakura did offer to make him some tea though, since he didn't look very well rested at all. Fai was much obliged and drank the entire cup and two more after that one.

" We should really start looking for Sakura-chan's feather," Fai said with a grin.

Syaoran glanced up from across the room, where he had been staring at the door. " Shouldn't we wait for Kurogane-san?" he asked.

" Yes, and what about you, Fai-san?" Sakura asked. " You're still hurt, you should be taking it easy now."

Fai chuckled, as though Sakura had told some sort of joke. " I'm certain that Kuro-popo can take care of himself," he said. " As for me, I'll be fine. Besides, we shouldn't forget why we're here, right?"

Syaoran regarded Fai carefully, knowing that there was more behind this. Unable to find the problem though, he merely nodded in agreement. It was certainly like Syaoran to be that loyal to his mission.

The real reason behind Fai's sudden determination to find Sakura's feathers was because of something much different actually. There was no need to question his dream. Ashura was free and Chi, well, Fai didn't want to think about Chi. The whole thing could have easily been played off as paranoia, but Fai knew better than to ignore premonitions. His hands shook from something other than the caffeine in the tea. The sooner that Fai was out of Nebanos, the better off he would be.

Reluctantly, Sakura and Syaoran agreed to go look in the town's marketplace for any clues as to where the feather was. Mokona rode on Fai's shoulder the whole way, ready to "Mekyo" when needed.

" It's very faint," Mokona said when asked about the feather. " It's here, but I can't tell where."

Fai patted the top of Mokona's head and Mokona made a happy "Puu!" noise. He decided he shouldn't be too discouraged by that answer. After all, the feather was in that world somewhere. It would be immensely helpful if they could find it soon though.

There was no use shaking any of Fai's fears. Every few minutes Fai would find himself gazing behind him, waiting to see those cold eyes meeting his once again. Every dark corner brought thoughts of Ashura's hands around his neck. Every shadow could have been his dark cloak. Every minute that went by made Fai more nervous and worried.

" Nee? Fai, are you okay?" Mokona asked softly in his ear.

Fai laughed nervously, " I'm fine, Mokona." It was extremely difficult to convince himself of this fact though, especially with Ashura free and likely to come and murder him at any moment.

He lifted his head, trying to figure out where Syaoran and Sakura had wandered off to. Ashura wasn't beyond kidnapping family and friends. Luckily he spotted them not far off, over at a booth that sold some sort of food native to Nebanos. They were probably doing what Fai _should_ have been doing, gathering information as to where Sakura's feather might be.

What Fai really needed to do was try to calm his nerves. After all, it would probably take a while to track him down, right? Fai only just had the dream, so Ashura couldn't be there yet, right? Besides, if he stayed as panicked as he was, he would never be able to help find the feather and then it would take even longer to leave.

Just as Fai turned to go and question the nearest street vendor, he saw the crowd up ahead of him begin to part for someone. The people whispered, watching in awe at whatever was running by. Fai didn't recognize who it was until it ran into him and knocked him down to the ground. The hit was so forceful that it knocked poor Mokona off of Fai and into a vendor's booth.

Fai gazed up in fear, wondering if this would be the end for him, but he caught himself when he saw that it was not Ashura, but Kurogane standing above him. Saving himself from any questions, Fai laughed and stood, brushing himself off.

" Kuro-puu…" he whined with a smile. " You scared me half to death."

Kurogane didn't seem to be paying any mind to his act though. He was breathing very harshly, as though he had just run some sort of marathon in a minute. This struck Fai as odd, because he knew Kurogane was very fit and most likely capable of running very long distances without loosing his breath. Fai wondered what had made him run so fast.

His eyes widened when Kurogane gripped his sleeves tightly. Fai felt himself tense at his touch and tried to lightly tug himself away. He certainly didn't want a repeat of the night before.

" Nee?" he laughed. " What are you doing Kuro-chii?"

When Fai stopped laughing, their eyes met. For once, Kurogane didn't seem to be angry or full of rage. His eyes were wide and perhaps even concerned. Fai couldn't even fathom that thought though. Kurogane? Concerned for him? Kurogane would sooner chop off his arm than show concern, according to Fai.

It seemed that Kurogane realized how odd his behavior was on his own, because he stepped away from Fai. He forced his face to become more stern.

" Oi," he said.

Fai watched him carefully. There was no doubt that Kurogane would still be angry at him from the night before. Taking a good look at him though, Fai noticed that his arm looked better. Kurogane must have changed his shirt, because he was certain he blew a hole in the other one.

There was no use trying to predict Kurogane. He was very driven by his emotions, most notably his anger. This is what made the two of them so different. While Kurogane was always himself, no matter what the scenario, Fai always hid his real feelings behind a mask. He often felt as though he were trapped behind a mirror, watching some stranger walk around in his body. Either way, he envied Kurogane in that regard.

" You," Kurogane tried to form the sentence properly. " There's someone…"

" Someone?" Fai echoed with a laugh.

Kurogane looked deadly serious though. He shook Fai by the arms, which immediately ceased the giggles.

" Would you cut it out for a minute?" Kurogane glared.

Fai's smile faded then, knowing that the situation must be dire. If it wasn't, Kurogane would be screaming and raging and loosing his temper. It was as though he were trying to stay calm as well.

" There's someone looking for you," Kurogane said seriously. " Someone named Ashura."

Someone named Ashura. Those words froze Fai's very soul. The paranoia, the fear, the dark shadows that lingered in his mind; they were all reborn. Ashura was there. He was there. He was there to kill him; he would die! Everyone would die! Ashura had no mercy for anyone who opposed him. There was no hope and yet Fai's mind fluttered back and forth in desperation.

Finally, Fai shoved himself away from Kurogane with a strength no one knew he possessed and took off in the direction that he had come from. He gracefully navigated the crowd with speed. There was no need for anyone to stop for him. Kurogane didn't chase after him, and for that Fai was glad. It would have merely ended in another fight anyhow and in Fai's panicked state he wasn't sure just how far he would go.

At this point it didn't matter where Fai went, as long as it was away from everything. Though really, that was the way it always was. After all, why was here? He had been running and running, running longer than anyone ever though possible. It was an endless game of hide and seek between them. Come out, come out wherever you are.

Fai passed by cart after cart and booth after booth. Was there no end to this marketplace? He didn't care if he had to hide in the woods for a few hours or even days; Fai just needed to be away. It was terribly cowardly and he knew it, but this was the way he was. If the real Fai weren't such a coward, then he wouldn't need his mask in the first place. He wouldn't be running his life away.

Soon the buildings he was running by became eerily familiar and he realized they were the ruins of the other day. Fai was running through the ghostly part of the town, filled with broken buildings and the scent of blood. Though he had only been conscious for a short time there, the smell of blood was very distinct.

There, amidst the corpses and the crumbled brick was a man. He was gazing down at the bodies with an odd expression. It was far too cold and merciless to be a mourner.

The man turned at the sound of Fai's hurried footfalls. He stared at him with emotionless eyes and Fai stopped in his tracks when he saw who it was.

Ashura-ou.

Fai couldn't help feeling defeated, as his mask fluttered to the torn earth beneath him.

* * *

(A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews everyone! Also, thank you to those of you who wished me good luck with my exams and my computer issues. My computer's fine now and my exams are done so…thanks. : ) So, Fai and Ashura have finally crossed paths. Things are getting exciting now, huh? Please R&R and I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!) 


	5. Checkmate

**Chapter 5: Checkmate**

It was as though Fai's feet were frozen to the ground. He couldn't run away; he couldn't take his eyes away from Ashura. Worst of all, Ashura had seen him. He was a dead man and he knew it.

Ashura smiled at Fai's fearful recognition and slowly made his way over to him. Neither of them flinched as bones cracked beneath his feet. They had long since become accustomed to the sound.

It took several minutes, but Fai managed to pull himself together and smile. After all, he could at least pretend to be courageous. He forced his body to relax and let his hands rest lightly on his hips. Perhaps if he played his cards right it would be quick and painless.

" It's been a while, Fai," Ashura grinned, stopping just a foot or two away from him.

" You too," Fai smiled, " Ashura-ou."

" You don't have to call me that anymore, you know," Ashura said. " After all, I don't rule over anything anymore."

Fai bitterly remembered the carnage he had left behind in their home world of Celes. Bodies had been strewn everywhere and buildings had been knocked down. There were so many corpses that Fai wouldn't have been surprised if he and Ashura were the only people left from their world. After he sealed Ashura away, it had been so deadly silent. Celes had suddenly fit its icy climate.

" I suppose that's true," Fai admitted. " But I can't see myself calling you anything else."

Ashura had ruled over Celes as long as Fai could remember. It was more like a dynasty really, as Ashura's father had ruled before him and his father before he. Ashura had always been 'Ashura-ou' and he always would be. Even as they became closer, Ashura was always 'Ashura-ou' to Fai.

Fai's back felt bare without his tattoo. It had been stupid of him to trade it away, or so he thought. Ashura was a powerful magician and that tattoo had been what allowed Fai to beat him the first time. He wasn't nearly as confident in his abilities this time. It wasn't that he couldn't match Ashura's strength, because he knew he could. It was something else entirely. The throbbing in his shoulder and chest was a constant reminder that he wasn't physically ready for a battle either.

Ashura's eyes widened slightly. It had always been hard to read Ashura's emotions. Most people assumed he didn't have any, and Fai would be inclined to agree. This didn't make Ashura any less confusing to him though. Fai should have been dead several minutes ago. Why hadn't he made any move before?

Either way, Fai didn't see himself going back to the others that day. There was no way that Ashura would let his crimes slide. Besides, he clearly remembered the night before.

" You're an idiot."

" I **HATE** people like you!"

" You make me sick."

Fai's smile weakened. He had a feeling that Kurogane wouldn't really mind if he never came back. All Fai had ever done was annoy him anyway and while it had been fun, it just made Kurogane hate him more and more. It was really too bad. After all, Fai certainly didn't hate him, not really.

Carefully, Ashura lifted his arm. His fingers began to glow white with magic as he stepped closer to Fai. Fai jumped back, a natural reflex for him, but he stayed put when Ashura came closer and closer.

" Someone's hurt you," he said airily.

He brought his hand down to Fai's wounded shoulder. Fai's eyes were wide, waiting for him to tear him limb from limb. That never happened though. If anything, it felt like the torn skin was sewing itself back together. Ashura was healing him.

" Here," he said.

Fai couldn't understand why he would bother to treat his wounds and stared dumbly as he moved to his chest. There was something about Ashura that he could never hope to understand.

" Here," he continued.

Each spot Ashura touched glowed for a moment afterwards as it healed. Ashura paused then, letting the light enveloping his fingers fade. Once the magic had disappeared, he placed his hand over Fai's heart.

" And here," he finished solemnly.

There was no magic this time though, because there was no physical wound. This did not mean it didn't sting any less. It was a wound that had built up over time; it was Fai's weary heart.

Ashura brushed Fai's bangs away from his face so they could see eye to eye. His face was serious and his eyes were cold and dark. Fai stood tall while his mind was trembling.

" Who was it?" Ashura asked sternly. " Was it that man you were with? Was it that man Kurogane?"

Fai's eyes widened and he smacked Ashura's hand away. It was a rather impulsive decision, but it was the only thing that would have saved him. He looked away; he would not look in Ashura's eyes again. He had nearly forgotten, because he had grown so used to not having to fight his control. Fai couldn't and wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

" No," Fai smiled, stepping away from his foe. " Kuro-pon's done nothing to me."

It was technically a lie, but he hoped that Ashura wouldn't see that. Kurogane had hurt him, but it wasn't anything horrible. Even if Kurogane hated him, Fai wouldn't send him to an early grave.

Ashura frowned, which was a minor victory for Fai. It was a battle of wits, a battle of words, thoughts, and false feelings and Fai had just stumped his greatest rival. For a change, he gave a real smile.

" Kuro…_pon_?" Ashura questioned.

" Or Kuro-rin if you'd prefer," Fai grinned.

Much to Fai's disappointment, Ashura smiled at that sentiment. Fai hadn't won yet, and if he knew Ashura, it wouldn't be long before words weren't enough to win.

" I see," Ashura said.

With that, Ashura stepped closer and with each step Fai moved backwards. He was determined to not fall into Ashura's mind traps again. Fai heard something crack beneath him and he nearly tripped backwards over another body. Fortunately or unfortunately, Ashura caught him by the waist.

Fai squirmed at his familiar touch. Now that Ashura had him, he would never let go. For once, Fai was unsure and scared. He didn't know exactly what Ashura had planned for him and that thought alone terrified him. For all he knew, he could be planning to skin him alive. It wasn't beyond Ashura to do something that cruel and torturous. He had watched him do it to others.

Yet Ashura gently lifted him up like he was a pillow. His arm remained around Fai, holding him securely. Fai wanted nothing but to run away. Even dropping dead right then and there would have been better.

All Ashura did though was gaze upon him with cold eyes. Fai refused to look though. He kept his eyes shut; he turned his head away, anything to keep from looking at Ashura.

Ashura would have none of it though. He placed his free hand under Fai's chin and gently turned his head.

" You're a fool," he said after a moment.

Before Fai could protest, Ashura had his lips on Fai's. This made Fai snap his eyes open wide in shock. He tried desperately to pull away, but Ashura moved his hand to the back of Fai's head to keep him in place.

Fai was paralyzed by his familiar touch and taste. They had shared many kisses before, just as hard and strong as this one. Each second brought memories back, of a time where things were simple and undivided by power and greed. The kiss had thrown him off guard and had thrown his emotions in turmoil. After all, you don't just kiss someone for no reason at all.

Though Fai had to admit, he had missed having someone hold him in their arms this way. He missed feeling protected, wanted, maybe even _needed_. He missed it the same way he missed being able to sleep restfully at night and the way he missed life without worry or care.

Lost in his thoughts, Fai didn't feel Ashura's hand leave his head. He heard a tiny 'crack' though, but before he could move his head away, Fai felt something cool on his forehead. Ashura allowed him to pull away this time and grinned.

Fai dared a look at Ashura and saw that he was missing a jewel on one side of his head. He didn't need a mirror to realize where it was. It was glistening on Fai's forehead like a third, red eye. His eyes were wide in horror.

Ashura merely continued to smile at him as he desperately tried to claw the jewel from his face. He knew exactly what power those crystals held in them and what it would do to him if it remained there.

Sleep, Fai.

These words had come from seemingly nowhere, but as soon as Fai heard them his eyelids grew heavy and he began to feel drowsy. His knees no longer had any strength and he found himself wobbling. Fai tried as hard as he could to fight it off and stay awake, but it was no use. His knees gave out and his body collapsed on its way down. Ashura quickly caught Fai in his arms and Fai's body slumped over onto his, unconscious.

Ashura smiled, watching Fai sleep like a child. Despite all of his pain and all of the suffering he had to endure, he always looked happy in deep sleep. Of course, Ashura wasn't smiling for Fai's happiness.

" You really are a fool," he laughed quietly. " You always were."

Fai was oblivious to his insults. He was merely lost in dreamless sleep.

* * *

(A/N: OH NO! XD Thank you for the excellent reviews, everyone. I promise that we'll find out where Kurogane is in the next chapter. So please R&R and I'll try and have the next chapter up very soon. : ) ) 


	6. Knots

**Chapter 6: Knots**

Kurogane wasn't sure what he had been expecting from Fai, but it certainly wasn't what he received, though that always seemed to be the way it was between them. Fai was spontaneous and always full of surprises. This time though, he was coming apart at the seams and Kurogane was clueless as to what to do.

He almost followed him. He almost stopped him. He almost did a lot of things, but the point was that he didn't commit to anything. Kurogane simply let him go.

Whenever he thought about it though, he thought of that man Ashura, his cold eyes and his icy smile. It was clear to him that Fai would be in pieces when he was done with him. Perhaps it was clear to Fai as well. After all, Kurogane had never seen the wizard run so fast before. Ashura was definitely a source of fear and pain for him. Fai's smiles would always fade at his name alone.

For once, Kurogane was unsure of what to do. He had to do something, he knew that much. Perhaps it was that he didn't know Ashura; hell, he barely knew Fai. It was a battle between them and them alone and no one else should interfere. That was the way it had always been in his own world. None of the other soldiers dared to jump into Kurogane's battles.

This was not his world though and Fai was not just another solider. Somehow, he was more than that. Kurogane wasn't entirely sure what to make of that thought, but he did know one thing for sure.

He could see it clearly in his mind. Ashura's fingers wrapped around Fai's thin neck, crushing it brutally. He could see Fai gasping for precious air, struggling in Ashura's grasp. In his last breath, just before he falls limp, he calls his name. Not Kuro-wan or Kuro-rin or Kuro-bon, but Kurogane.

This thought left a knot in his chest and a thirst for Ashura's blood. The entire idea pissed him off for some reason and even if he wasn't sure why, he would make sure that Fai came back safe.

It wasn't the first time this strange feeling had overpowered Kurogane's mind and soul. The day before, as he carried Fai in his arms, that knot had been in his chest. That knot had tied his mouth shut when he wanted to growl about how his shirt was coated in that damn wizard's blood and quietly made him noticed the way Fai's hair fell over his eyes.

He knew what his princess would think of this. She would try to tell him with sparkling eyes that he had found his true love and that she simply must meet him. Then she would ask when the wedding would be and rush off to make ceremonial robes for him before he could give her an answer, leaving Kurogane fuming. Needless to say, it was an aspect of her personality that Kurogane found simply irritating.

Kurogane considered it for a second though, with a quiet, dark laugh to himself. Love? Is that what it was?

Before he could muse anymore on it, he turned to see Syaoran, Sakura, and the white manjyu Mokona speeding over to him. They all looked extremely worried, as well they should have. It seemed that Mokona had bounced over to the two lovebirds and told them everything it knew.

" Kurogane-san," Syaoran asked calmly. " Where is Fai-san?"

" I'm not really sure," Kurogane admitted. " There's someone after him though. He's probably gotten himself into some trouble."

" Someone's after Fai-san?" Sakura gasped, her eyes wide with concern. " That's terrible! We need to do something; we have to help him!"

Mokona made irritating noises in agreement, but Syaoran was more focused and calm. He knew exactly when it was that he should panic and he knew that now was not the time for that.

" Do you know who it is?" he asked. " Who is after Fai-san, I mean."

Kurogane's eyes darkened and he glared at no one in particular.

" His name's Ashura," Kurogane said. " He's got long dark hair and he was wearing some kind of weird jewels on his forehead."

" Right," Syaoran nodded. " Let's go."

Syaoran was about to start running off, but Kurogane roughly picked him up by the collar and held him a few inches off of the ground. He hung there confused, until Kurogane explained himself.

" Hold it, kid," he said. " First of all, do you even know where he is?"

" Well, no…" Syaoran admitted.

" Second," Kurogane continued, " we all know that guy is a damn powerful wizard. Now if he's afraid of this guy, we shouldn't charge after him **completely defenseless**, should we?"

Syaoran didn't answer, but it was obvious that he realized his flaws on his own. Kurogane sighed and let him down. The kid had his heart in the right place, but he would get himself killed one day if he didn't think things through. This wasn't to say that he didn't always think things through, but when people he cared about were in danger, Syaoran tended to be a little reckless. He was strong, but no one can live on dumb luck alone.

" So what should we do, Kurogane-san?" Syaoran asked, hoping his comrade had a plan of attack.

Kurogane paused for a moment. Did he have a plan? Not really. There was really only one thing they could do, and it was fine by Kurogane. He grinned at Syaoran, a real grin, not one of those fake things that Fai always wore.

" What do we do?" he grinned murderously. " We go back and get our swords, that's what we do."

Syaoran nodded, satisfied with that answer. There was no need to stand around any longer. Kurogane and Syaoran sped off quickly, back to the house they were staying at. Syaoran had Sakura by the hand, gently pulling her along. Mokona though, had jumped onto Kurogane's shoulder, much to his annoyance.

Every so often, Kurogane would catch a glimpse of Syaoran and Sakura. Syaoran was always very careful with her, as though she would break if he tugged her too hard. His feelings for her weren't exactly a secret to Kurogane, Fai, or even Mokona. Sakura was oblivious to all of it. Even with her memories gone though, Syaoran still loved her unconditionally.

Again, Kurogane thought of Fai. Fai was always clinging to him, being goofy and turning his name into a cute abomination. He was always wearing that annoying smile, the one that was so fake, the one that pissed him off so much. Was it possible to hate someone so much and still want them back safe and sound? Kurogane wasn't sure.

When they were back in the house, as they were gathering their swords, Kurogane decided to ask someone who would know more about it. No one had bothered to light any candles, seeing as they were only running in for their weapons.

" Oi, Brat." Kurogane said, sheathing his sword, Souhi.

" Yes, Kurogane-san?" Syaoran turned to him, grasping his sword tightly.

Kurogane paused, unsure of how to phrase his thought without sounding stupid. After all, it was such an unusual topic for him. He could barely form the sentences in his own mind, let alone his mouth.

" You say that you're in love with the princess," he said. " How do you know? I mean…"

He took a deep breath and looked over at Syaoran carefully, trying to tell if he was ready to laugh at him. Of course, he wasn't, but Syaoran did seem a little confused.

" What I mean is," Kurogane tried again. " What does it feel like to love someone?"

That still didn't sound quite right to Kurogane, but he wasn't going to rephrase it again. Kurogane wasn't really a man of eloquent words anyhow. It was more like Syaoran or Fai to say everything exactly the way they needed to.

However, Syaoran looked extremely surprised. Perhaps he wasn't expecting a question on love in this dire situation, or perhaps it was that he could never picture Kurogane being in love with someone. Then there was the fact that he couldn't picture Kurogane being interested in _his_ love life. He thought hard on the question, because he had never really thought about it before.

" What does it feel like?" he echoed.

Kurogane nodded, getting impatient with the boy. Syaoran took a deep breath and tried to explain it.

" Well, your heart beats really fast when you think about that person," he said, " and I guess your stomach feels sort of weird…"

Kurogane blinked. Could that be the knot that he felt in his chest?

" Love is," Syaoran tried again. " It's when you feel so strongly about someone that nothing else matters. It's when you would give anything just to be by their side. It's when…when you would die just to keep that person safe."

Syaoran clutched his chest and Kurogane wondered if he was feeling that knot as well. He wondered if Syaoran was thinking of his princess waiting outside for them.

" It's when you feel like your world would collapse without them," Syaoran said sadly. " Without them, the sky just isn't as blue and the stars just don't shine as brightly."

Kurogane's eyes widened. Was that really how he felt about Fai? He stopped for a minute and tried to picture life without the wizard. He thought of the possibility that Fai could be dead before they got there. For some reason, that thought hurt. It hadn't hurt as much before though. There had been a pang of pain when they had thought he was dead in Outo, but he was forced to bear that pain and fight. Somehow, it hurt more this time around.

Suddenly, Syaoran looked up with an embarrassed blush.

" I'm sorry," he said. " I think I'm babbling."

Kurogane couldn't help but grin at that. The kid was too honest for his own good. Besides, they didn't have time to waste on what color blue the sky was. Kurogane made sure Souhi was secured and stood up straight.

" We should get going," he said, nodding for the door.

Syaoran gave an understanding smile and laughed, which was rare for the serious boy. He was the sturdy rock that Sakura could lean on. In Kurogane's mind, they were perfect for each other, but it was so cute that it was sickening.

" Yes," he said. " Let's go."

Needless to say, as soon as they left the house Syaoran and Sakura were attached by the hand. There was a light in Syaoran's eyes that Kurogane hadn't noticed before. Was that love?

As they ran through the marketplace, Kurogane decided that it was not the time to ponder that. He was a fighter, not a lover, at least not then. If he kept his head in the clouds, Ashura would certainly stab him in their inevitable battle.

There was no doubt that the two of them would go into battle, and Kurogane had to enter the arena with the knowledge that one of them wouldn't walk away alive. Something in his mind tried to remind him of his curse, the curse his princess bestowed on him. He chose to ignore this though, because if he didn't kill this man, he knew that Fai would die. Kurogane couldn't let that happen.

Soon enough, they reached the ruins of their battle from the day before. Sakura was on the verge of tears from seeing the corpses again, filled with an empathy unknown to the rest of mankind. Syaoran held her gently.

Kurogane, however, took a closer look at some of the bodies. A few of them had been stepped on so hard that there were marks from shoes left on them. There were hands that had been broken from the force.

" I think they've been here," he said. " Or at least Ashura has. That wizard wouldn't make a dent at all; he's so damn light."

There was no way to prove this, of course, but Kurogane couldn't think of a soul in Nebanos who would do this, and he knew that they hadn't left the bodies this way.

Syaoran nodded while Sakura whispered something to Mokona.

" Mokona," she asked. " Can you sense Fai's magic the same way you can sense my feathers?"

" Mm," Mokona said, lacking the ability to nod. " I can do it!"

This caught Syaoran and Kurogane's attention. It would definitely make things incredibly easier if Mokona could sense him. They watched carefully as Mokona was focused in concentration. Suddenly, Mokona's eyes shot open and he made a loud '_Mekyo' _noise.

" I can sense him! He's nearby!" Mokona said, " and so is Sakura-chan's feather!"

" Sakura-hime's feather is near here?" Syaoran gasped.

Mokona bounced up and down in excitement, confirming that fact. Kurogane wondered if he was the only one who saw Syaoran's eyes light up at that.

" Yeah," Mokona said. " But there's another magic too. It's kinda like Fai's but at the same time it's not, you know?"

Kurogane roughly grabbed Mokona by the ears and lifted it up so he could yell at it face to face.

" No I don't know, you white manjyu!" he growled. " You're not making any sense what-so-ever!"

" Waa! Kuro-wan is scary…" Mokona chirped, jumping on his shoulder.

Syaoran approached the two of them cautiously. He was always overly polite, not wanting to interrupt unless absolutely necessary. At that moment though, time was of the essence.

" Which way do we go Mokona?" he asked.

Mokona motioned to the woods just beyond the wreckage. Their battle had been on the very edge of the town, and Syaoran had hypothesized that the creature had come from the forest. It was probable that they might have to face that monster again. Kurogane was ready to risk that though.

" How fast can you run, kid?" he looked over at Syaoran and grinned. "You'd better keep up with me."

Syaoran nodded, taking Sakura by the hand.

" I will," he said simply.

With that, they were off and running twice as fast as before. Sakura was having a difficult time running with Syaoran, but she knew how dire the situation was and didn't ask to slow down. Kurogane looked almost graceful, the way he carefully dodged branches and rocks. He was used to running through the woods, seeing as there were woods like this in his own world.

He still didn't know if it was love that he felt for Fai, but the knot in his chest pulled him along like he were on a string. He would get there and he would save Fai. He had to, because Kurogane had finally come to the realization that he didn't know what he would do without him.

* * *

( A/N: Wow. Over 100 reviews. OO Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. : ) This chapter's a lot longer than the others too, and mildly happier than I usually write. XD Anyway, thank you very much everyone! Please R&R and I'll have the next chapter up very soon!) 


	7. Pieces

**Chapter 7: Pieces**

With a piercing pain in his forehead, Fai awoke in a place completely unfamiliar to him. A thick canopy of trees hung over his head as he laid on his back. He knew that he was in a forest, but he didn't know where. Did Mokona take them to a new world again? There was a vision in his head of a village, or rather a marketplace. A forest could be seen in the background. Was that where he was?

Fai didn't know, but it hurt his head more to try and think about it. His mind felt airy, like it was dangling up in the trees, swaying back and forth. It was something that he would normally attribute to that moment in between dreaming and waking, but it wasn't fading away this time.

He sat up carefully, clutching his forehead and trying to focus his mind. It proved extremely difficult to do so however. There was something distracting him, but that thing was invisible to him. Whatever it was seemed to be eating at him, making his forehead hurt incredibly.

Looking around, he found that he seemed to be in a makeshift camp of sorts. There were rotting crates being used as unsteady tables and a tiny lean-to was nearby. Fai had been laid down on a bed of leaves and he saw that a heavy black cloak was hung over a branch above him.

Fai found himself entranced by the cloak, recognizing it in some place deep in his mind. Somehow he knew who it belonged to, and yet it wasn't clicking just right. The pieces all fell together as a figure stepped out of the brush.

It was Ashura. Ashura had brought him there and Ashura had wanted to kill him. Even if all of the details weren't clear, he knew enough to scoot back as Ashura approached him. He knew that Ashura wanted him dead and that was all he needed to know, or so he felt.

" Go away," he whispered. Somehow, even his own voice sounded foreign to him.

Ashura's eyes widened at something that Fai could not see. Then he smiled, crouching down near Fai and sighed.

" You have quite the amazing will power, don't you?" Ashura said.

Fai wasn't exactly sure what his king had meant by that. It seemed completely out of the blue and random for him to say such a thing and it left Fai perplexed. Ashura had always been a mysterious person who kept things behind closed doors.

Ashura reached out and brushed Fai's hair out of his eyes. Immediately, Fai felt his body tense at his touch, and shivers ran down his spine. He shut his eyes tightly, though he wasn't sure why he had. He just knew that he couldn't look into Ashura's icy eyes. It was some sort of gut instinct that had resurrected itself somehow.

Relax.

A deep voice in his mind echoed over everything else, and Fai felt each muscle loosen at once. It was a slow, calming release that eased his frightened mind.

Fai opened his eyes then, forgetting entirely why he had shut them, and found himself locked in Ashura's gaze. His eyes were cold and piercing, yet they held concern deep within them.

" Are you all right?" Ashura asked, all smiles erased.

Fai suddenly wasn't sure. Where was he? What had happened to him? He didn't know the answers to any of these questions, and it bothered him. He could remember certain things, but it felt like he was missing many details. He knew he was traveling away from Celes, but with whom? What were their names? He thought for a moment that perhaps he was traveling alone.

As a force of habit, he found himself smiling and lying anyway.

" I'm fine," he said. " Why wouldn't I be?"

Ashura's serious face never faltered once at his smiles. It never had.

" I wasn't sure when I saw you crumpled in the street," he said.

" Crumpled…" Fai echoed in a whisper.

It seemed like that would be a hard thing to forget, yet he had no recollection of it at all. Slowly though, he could see it in his mind. It wasn't that he was in the street exactly, but so many buildings had been broken that it was impossible to tell just where the street was anymore. Fai had collapsed among brick and dirt that day. His smile faded a bit.

Ashura ruffled his hair tenderly, or at least feigning tenderness. This gesture certainly confused Fai, seeing as Ashura was supposed to kill him. He wondered if perhaps that was a garbled memory as well.

" It was a good thing I got you away from that man," Ashura said. " Otherwise, I think he might have done even worse things to you."

" What man?" Fai asked.

Fai was desperate to know, but even more desperate to know how he could forget something so seemingly important. There was something that definitely wasn't right and Fai couldn't tell just what it was. That may have been the part that bothered him the most.

" Why Kurogane of course," Ashura said, as though it were obvious. " How could you forget that?"

Fearful disbelief coursed through Fai's veins. That couldn't be right. Kurogane would never do anything to really hurt Fai, right? Fai desperately hoped that he was right. After all, he trusted Kurogane with his life, most of the time anyway. Fai found it odd that he had only remembered Kurogane after Ashura said his name though. There still was something wrong about the whole scenario.

Yet somehow, he could see it. Kurogane was looming over him, yelling horrible things at him, pulling his hair even. His chest and arm had been aching and Fai could only guess where those injuries had come from.

" You're an idiot."

" You make me sick,"

" I-**HATE**-people-like-you!"

You can hear him, can't you?

Fai could certainly hear him. He clutched his head with both hands as he heard all at once every insult that Kurogane had ever thrown his way. They swam rapidly in his head, circling around and around until he couldn't tell which one was which anymore. Images were beaten into his mind of Kurogane, always growling or scowling or destroying something. The whole ordeal frightened Fai a bit and he found himself shaking.

Suddenly though, Ashura touched his shoulder and all of it went away. His mind was clear once again. Still though, Fai found himself trembling. Kurogane had hurt him. He couldn't believe it, but he remembered it now, clear as a bell. Kurogane…had hurt him. That fact alone might have hurt him more.

" It must have been hard for you," Ashura said. " It's hard when someone you love hurts you."

Fai thought about that for just a moment. Had he really loved Kurogane? Perhaps he had, what with the silly pet names and the fact that he liked to cling onto him. He felt his heart flutter as he thought about it. Perhaps he had loved him.

Whether he loved him or not didn't matter anymore though. It was obvious by his actions that Kurogane didn't feel the same way. Ashura was right. It hurt more than words could say. Tears that would never be shed hid in Fai's eyes.

" Unfortunately though, he got away before I could kill him," Ashura lied. " He's such a damn brute.

" Of course," Ashura added. " He could be searching for you right now. He might want to finish you off."

For the first time, Fai could feel the cool breeze through the trees. He had never thought that things had been so horrible between him and Kurogane. Sure, he got annoyed easily, but there was something else there. With the knowledge that Kurogane could be out for his blood, Fai felt just a bit alone. It was as though the Kurogane that he knew and might have loved was gone and replaced by this abomination that went by the same name.

Somehow though, Fai could still tell that the pieces were jagged. He knew that this wasn't the way things were supposed to be, but so many memories were blurred and faded. It was as though each time he tried to reach out and touch one, it moved further away. His emotions came and went with each thought. At one moment he was angry and the next he was sad and after that he became scared and withdrawn. It wasn't right.

" No," he said.

Fai grinned morbidly at Ashura's shocked countenance. There was something wrong here and Ashura was the cause. Fai was certain of this. He couldn't quite reach any of the details, but Fai knew that Ashura was the one prying in his mind, clouding his thoughts.

Ashura was silent. Once again, Fai had stood up to him. Slowly he smiled. All that meant was that Fai had grown stronger.

" I don't want to do this," Ashura said softly. " Why can't you ever make things easy for me?"

" I don't know," Fai spoke truthfully for a change.

" Why can't you just submit?" Ashura asked.

" I still don't know," Fai said.

Fai was grinning again, knowing that his smiles were turning Ashura's stomach sour. It was just a tiny victory for Fai, but he savored it with everything he had. He was beginning to catch on to Ashura's plans and he knew that it made Ashura absolutely furious.

" I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this," Ashura sighed. " After all, I hate mindless puppets. They're no fun at all."

Fai winced when Ashura's fingers brushed against the cold gem in his forehead. His fingers never abandoned the jewel though. Instead they pushed harder against it, making Fai hiss in pain. A familiar light danced around Ashura's fingers and Fai found he could only watch in horror.

The powerful magic crashed into Fai like a bullet to the brain. The birds in the streets were startled away by the incredible scream that escaped his lips. Images and sounds completely unfamiliar to him flooded his mind and it only took a half second for him to fall on his hands and knees.

It was a whirlwind of scenes and voices. There were shots of Kurogane yelling and growling and scenes with Ashura smiling and laughing. Messages mixed in his mind, fusing with the physical pain of the magic. Fai knew that Ashura was picking and choosing memories, mixing them to his liking, but Fai was helpless. The pain shot through every nerve in his body it seemed and there was nothing he could do but allow it to happen.

Kurogane tried to kill you. He nearly did kill you. If not for me he would have. I love you. Love me. Kurogane hates you. He always has. Love me.

Fai cried out for Ashura to stop many, many times. He had never claimed that he wasn't a desperate man. Ashura would not cease though. Nothing could stop him.

Eventually, the pain became too much for Fai to bear. The sensation swallowed him whole and made him collapse on the ground with a tear stained face. He felt numbed somehow. Ashura had taken him and shattered him into thousands upon thousands of pieces, breaking him as he had in the past.

Ashura stood up and brushed himself off. He looked carefully at Fai's body, as though he were waiting for him to spring up and try to foil his plans again.

" I won't make the same mistake again," he said to himself. " I must take your mind completely."

The next time Fai opened his eyes for Ashura, they were hollow and worn, the eyes of a broken china doll. There were no smiles on his face and there was no light in his eyes. Ashura could only smile at this.

You're mine.

* * *

(A/N: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews everyone: ) Of course, I have a feeling that many of you might want to tear my soul from my body for all of the misery I put Fai through. Heheh…XD Please R&R and I'll have the next chapter up soon!)


	8. Porcelain

**Chapter 8: **Porcelain

The forest seemed boundless. No matter which direction Mokona led them in, everything had begun to look the same and they really weren't getting anywhere anymore. Kurogane had quickly grown frustrated and inpatient. His temper had never been one of his stronger points.

" Manjyu," he growled. " This had better not be a wild goose chase."

Mokona made an adorable little 'meep' as it popped its head out of Kurogane's shirt.

" No, I definitely sense him," it said. " But we still have a little ways to go."

Kurogane growled in frustration and peered behind him. It was obvious that Syaoran was getting tired. Sakura had fallen asleep several hundred trees before and Syaoran had simply picked her up and begun carrying her in his arms. This could only last so long though, and Kurogane could see that Syaoran was running just a bit slower and that he looked a little out of breath. Thus, against his will, Kurogane halted him and suggested that they take a small breather.

" If we go into battle you'll be useless if you're too tired," he said roughly.

Syaoran didn't argue. He laid Sakura down gently against a tree trunk and then took a minute to catch his breath. Kurogane peered over as Syaoran carefully watched his princess. It was as though the boy was trying to will her awake with his eyes alone. Kurogane had begun to believe that she really _was_ the only thing on Syaoran's mind.

Kurogane bitterly pulled Mokona out of his clothes by the ears and dropped it on the ground. Mokona cried just a little, but after a stern glare from Kurogane it bounced away, back to Syaoran and Sakura.

While they stood there, anything could have been happening to Fai. Kurogane hated waiting and he almost regretted telling them they could rest. They should still be moving onward! Unfortunately, the damage has been done and now he would simply need to wait.

He refused to make himself vulnerable and sit though. Anything could come by at any moment and he wanted to be prepared. After all, the monster they fought the other day, the Tier, lurked in these woods. They had lost before, and Kurogane did not want to loose again.

Just as Kurogane remembered that battle, he heard a soft rustling of leaves behind him. Quickly he swiveled around and drew his sword, waiting for whatever it was to show itself. The action startled Syaoran, who hadn't heard a thing.

" What is it?" he asked, but Kurogane hushed him.

It was several moments before anything emerged from the brush. When it crawled its way out though, it left Kurogane dumbfounded. It was a creature that simply looked too cute to be menacing at all. The creature was just barely bigger than Mokona and it didn't even come up to Kurogane's knees. It was all black and seemed to be almost a cross between a dog and a very tiny bear. It 'yipped' cutely at Kurogane, making him twitch slightly.

Syaoran showed up behind Kurogane and peered around him to see this creaturethis disgustingly adorable creature Before either of them could say anything though, it scampered over to where Sakura was laying asleep and pounced lightly on her.

" Ah, Sakura-hime!" Syaoran called out, but it was too late.

The creature was already licking her face. It wasn't long before she coughed and woke up, giggling. Kurogane and Syaoran ran over to her, just incase it changed its mind and decided she would make a good snack.

" Aw," she cooed. " You're so cute."

She scooped up the tiny creature into her arms and it 'yipped' again, making itself comfortable. Mokona scurried up onto her as well, balancing itself on top of her head.

Syaoran and Kurogane looked at each other, each realizing the same thing at once. This creature looked almost exactly like a much less menacing version of the Tier. Their thoughts were confirmed when they saw the markings on its front legs. They were unmistakably sword marks and Syaoran and Kurogane were the only ones that they had seen in the entire village of Nebanos carrying such weapons.

" It's so tiny," Kurogane said. " Does it just grow bigger when it feels like it?"

" I don't know," Syaoran said, slightly worried. " I'm not sure you should be holding it though, Sakura-hime…"

Sakura merely giggled, petting it softly.

" No, I can tell," she said. " He doesn't want to hurt us."

Given how many times Sakura has been able to sense these sorts of things, no one questioned her judgment. Kurogane wasn't sure he understood it completely himself, but then again, he really only had battle senses anyway. He didn't know how trees or tornadoes or Tiers were feeling inside, and to be perfectly honest, he didn't care.

" I suppose that rules out the Tier having Sakura-hime's feather," Syaoran said. " Mokona would have said something by now."

Kurogane nodded. He had to admit that he hadn't really been thinking about Sakura's feather or where it was at all. Kurogane had other concerns, ones that he deemed just a little more important. As much as he liked the kid, Syaoran had his mission and he had his.

" We should get going," Kurogane said abruptly. He had never once been known for his patience.

Syaoran didn't question him, but Sakura gave him a curious look. After all, they had only sat for a minute or two. Her thoughts on that never left her throat though.

" Ah…can we take him with us?" she asked instead, motioning towards the animal squirming in her arms. " He's been hurt."

Sakura had her own sweet, unknowing way of guilting Syaoran and Kurogane. They certainly couldn't argue with her, because they had been the ones to slash at the Tier in the first place. Those wide eyes of hers begged and pleaded with them without uttering a word.

" Okay," Syaoran said, giving in completely.

Kurogane twitched. His princess, Tomoyo, was manipulative in the exact same way. She'd ask for something to be done, and then she'd bat her long eyelashes and lo and behold she'd have twenty-something servants surrounding her. Occasionally, Kurogane himself would be conned into fetching something for her highness.

Needless to say, Kurogane didn't argue. There was no time to argue anyway. Without another word, he led the group off again, further into the woods, turning whenever Mokona directed him to. They had wasted enough time. Kurogane needed to find Fai and he needed to find him _now_.

Earlier that day, Kurogane had thought he heard something. It was a foreign sound, something that he had hoped to never hear. It was so unusual that he wondered if he had imagined it out of fear. He had not though, because he heard animals stir and run away at the noise.

It has been a blood-curdling scream. Kurogane had heard enough of them to know, but this time he knew exactly who it had belonged to. After they spent a good amount of time searching, they had only found a small clearing. It was an empty, ghostly spot with only a bed of ruffled leaves left behind. Not a drop of blood was found anywhere.

Kurogane was painfully aware that the situation was dire. After hearing that awful scream, it was entirely possible that they might only find his mangled body. Kurogane could see it clearly in his mind and it twisted the knot in him even tighter.

Up ahead Kurogane saw that their path led into a large field. He put his arm out to one side, signaling that Syaoran and Sakura should stop.

" You don't run right into an open field," he said. " That's liking _asking_ someone to kill you."

Syaoran nodded, absorbing that for future reference. Kurogane liked that he never had to tell him anything more than once. Infact, he was more obedient than some of the people Tomoyo-hime had forced him to work with.

" What do we do then?" Syaoran asked.

" We go slowly," Kurogane said. " We keep our eyes and ears open for anyone who might come at us. If and when they do, we stand our ground and fight."

" Right," Syaoran nodded.

Kurogane could feel the wind picking up. He looked up through the trees to see storm clouds brewing above them. He glared at nothing in particular, furious that it would be raining soon.

Carefully, Kurogane led them through the last little patch of forest. Nothing could have prepared him for what was on the other side though. As he pushed aside the last branch, he stopped.

The strong wind was blowing the tall grass around fiercely. What caught Kurogane's attention though, were the figures several yards away. Ashura's long hair whipped around in the wind. He was holding Fai's head and their mouths were intertwined in a fit of passionate romance. The thing that struck Kurogane as the strangest though was the way Fai's long arms were wrapped tenderly around Ashura.

For once, Kurogane was speechless. It hurt to watch, and yet he couldn't take his eyes away. If he was weaker and more feeble, perhaps he would have allowed his knees to shake, but Kurogane was too strong to crumble at something like this.

" Fai-san," Syaoran said softly.

Kurogane had almost forgotten that the two children were there. It was hard to ignore Mokona though, seeing as the manjyu was squirming in his shirt. Mokona carefully poked its head through the top, staring at Kurogane carefully.

" Kuro-bun," it said frowning out of worry. " Are you okay?"

He didn't have a comeback at first, because he honestly wasn't sure if he was okay. He found himself wondering again what this feeling was. It was a different feeling though, a sickening, weak feeling.

" Kurogane-san?" Syaoran said, once he realized that Kurogane hadn't said anything.

Kurogane's face twisted into an angry snarl, causing Syaoran to grab Sakura and take a few steps back. Mokona jumped away from Kurogane as well and the Tier scampered out of Sakura's arms. Kurogane didn't understand; if Fai hated Ashura so much, why was he out there making out with the damn guy? Kurogane couldn't help but be angry. They had run around the woods for at least a few hours searching for him, and they find him messing around out in a field. He was also just a little annoyed because he had genuinely worried about him, and there he was, having the time of his life with his supposed nemesis. Of course, Kurogane would never again admit that he had been worried.

This is, of course, also why Kurogane completely ignored his own words of caution and charged out into the field. He ignored Syaoran and Sakura's cries for him to turn around as well. Kurogane was stubborn though, and he had always been. Nothing would make him turn around.

" Oi!" He shouted, trying to get their attention. " What the hell do you think you're doing?"

As he approached, he watched Ashura pull away from Fai and glance over at him. He seemed mildly annoyed at the disruption, but Kurogane could care less.

" Kurogane," he said simply. " I was wondering when you would arrive."

" Don't talk as though you know me," Kurogane growled.

Ashura laughed at that, a dark laugh that seemed to echo against the dark clouds above.

" Fai says you go by other names," he said. " Like Kuro-rin and Kuro-pon and such."

" I do not!" Kurogane shouted.

How dare that wizard tell Ashura things like that? It made Kurogane wonder what other secrets the two of them shared. Kurogane looked up at Fai, as though he expected some sort of answer to his unspoken question. That answer never came though, and Kurogane eased his angry pose.

Fai was pale as a ghost and his eyes were empty. He was like a porcelain doll, staring out at Kurogane without really seeing him. Infact, it was as though he were looking through him and out to the other side, like he was a piece of glass. Fai's face was expressionless.

Something wasn't right.

It was only then that Kurogane noticed the glistening jewel on Fai's forehead. It was obvious that it had come from Ashura's own set and it stood out against Fai's fair skin. His arms fell quietly to his sides when Ashura pulled away. Fai seemed to only be a shell of the person Kurogane knew.

Something really wasn't right.

" You bastard," Kurogane said, turning back to Ashura. " What did you do to him?"

" I didn't do anything," said Ashura. " I merely made him return to his senses."

Kurogane's hands had become fists and his anger surged. He knew that Ashura _had_ to have done something to Fai. He wasn't normally like this. Fai had never been so empty and hollow. It was though he had died and his ghost was all that remained.

" What did you do to him?" Kurogane asked again, moving towards Ashura. At this point, it didn't matter if he had Souhi with him. Kurogane was ready to tear this man apart with his bare hands for all that he'd done.

Ashura made no moves to get out of the way. Instead, he only smiled that sickening smile and stood perfectly still.

" What the **hell** did you do to him?" Kurogane growled, pushing up his sleeve.

Before Kurogane could even throw a punch though, Fai appeared before him. Kurogane wasn't sure how he had moved so fast to step in between them, but that was where he stood, his arms spread out wide.

" Stop," he said.

Kurogane halted at that. He had never heard Fai speak to anyone that way, so forceful yet lacking any emotion.

" If you continue," Fai said. " I will kill you."

This made Kurogane's eyes go wide. He didn't doubt Fai's threat, but it sounded strange coming out of his throat. Even as Fai stared directly into his eyes, he still seemed to be looking elsewhere. Fai was protecting his enemy with his entire body. It was both strange and painful to watch.

Kurogane gritted his teeth. He wanted to rip Ashura's insides from his body, but he couldn't fight Fai. He wouldn't. He couldn't.

Ashura walked up behind Fai and tenderly wrapped his arms around him. He had wandering hands that slowly crawled up Fai's torso, all the way to his face and back down. Even as this went on, Fai didn't move away or utter a sound.

" Isn't he such a nice minion?" Ashura said, twirling Fai's hair around his fingers and smiling.

That statement made Kurogane reach for Souhi, but he stopped when he saw Fai pull away from Ashura, only to go into his own ready position. When Ashura saw this he laughed.

" What's the matter, Kurogane?" he grinned. " You can't fight an ally?"

Kurogane could only glare at Ashura, knowing that he was correct. He had come out here to save Fai, not battle him. Something in him kept him from drawing his sword, something that didn't want to see Fai's blood on the grass.

" Perhaps you need a reminder then," Ashura said. " He is not your ally anymore."

With that, the jewel on Fai's forehead began to shine brightly as he raised his arm. Ashura's jewels glowed as well, and Mokona's "Mekyo" went unheard. Familiar white and blue lights rapidly traveled down Fai's arm, aimed right for Kurogane. Knowing what was happening, Kurogane ducked and rolled out of the way just in time. He watched as the magic blast through the air Kurogane had left behind him and singed the grass he had stood on.

The flames didn't last very long though. For at that moment, the rain softly began to fall and the thunder crashed through Kurogane's very soul.

* * *

(A/N: Dun dun dun! Thanks for the excellent reviews everyone. : ) A lot happened in this chapter, eh? A lot more than usual anyway. Please R&R and I'll try and get the next chapter up soon! ) 


	9. Waltz

**Chapter 9: Waltz**

People had often criticized Kurogane for being too brash with his attacks, even at a young age. His form had always been aggressive and intimidating, and he never showed any mercy. While this would ordinarily be a positive thing for a fighter, Kurogane often left his opponents in bloodied pieces, whether it was a training session or not. It was quickly decided that he would not be allowed practice with the other boys training to fight by the princess' side.

The parents would talk behind his back when they thought he couldn't hear them. They would speak of his violent tendencies and the bad blood of his late parents. Sometimes, they would even say how glad they were that his mother and father were dead, because otherwise they would have to deal with the three of them together, instead of one annoying child.

Back then he didn't care, or so he said. It didn't matter to him what anyone said about him, or what anyone did to him. It didn't matter how furious they made him. One day, he would be strong enough to rise above them. One day, he would be strong enough to kill them all if he wanted to. He would beat any opponent; he would rise to any challenge. It didn't matter who it was; if anyone challenged him they would die.

If this were true, then Kurogane's feet wouldn't have been stuck to the ground when Fai was ready to attack. Why was it that Kurogane couldn't raise Souhi and strike? It shouldn't have mattered that it was Fai's fair skin that he had to slice, that it was Fai's blood he was spilling. That shouldn't have mattered at all, right?

Unfortunately, there was no time for contemplation. Fai was walking over to him once again and his magic flowed around him in white and blue waves. Kurogane had never fully realized just how much power Fai held within him, and he still wasn't sure if there was even more hidden beneath his porcelain skin. The heat of his magic combined with the falling rain made hot steam rise. Kurogane was forced to stand upright in a ready stance, with no plans of attack.

Ashura merely stood yards away, a look of satisfaction on his face. Kurogane couldn't help but scowl when their eyes met. Fai had obviously become Ashura's shield. There was no way to get around it; if he wanted to defeat Ashura, then he would have to defeat Fai. Still his arms stayed put. He refused to draw his sword.

This mistake allowed Fai to step just too close to him. Before Kurogane could even blink, his wrist was burning from Fai's touch. Their faces were inches apart and Kurogane found that Fai's eyes were devoid of emotion. His face wasn't twisted into a smile this time. Instead, someone had uncurled it and let it fall, leaving nothing behind. There was a warmth in front of Kurogane's chest, and when Kurogane looked down, he saw Fai's hand there, palm out, and ready to strike.

Growling, Kurogane twisted himself away from Fai, jumping back several feet. Fai was unfazed; nothing would faze him now. It had really become a battle and it was time for Kurogane to recognize it as such. Still, he didn't know how he could win without causing Fai any harm. He knew that if he were to hurt Fai, or even go so far as to kill him, the stains would never wash from his hands. Kurogane wasn't sure if he would ever forgive himself. It was a strange thought, because Kurogane had killed hundreds of men before. What made Fai different from any of them?

Kurogane found himself jumping and dodging constantly as Fai suddenly barraged him with attacks. He supposed that Ashura was growing impatient and wanted him to die already. Kurogane had never been easy to kill however. Not one of Fai's blasts of magic had so much as grazed him.

For a moment though, all of Fai's attacks stopped. He had disappeared completely, just for a moment or two. Kurogane struggled to find him, to sense him somehow, but it was as though Fai had vanished into thin air. Fai or not, invisible enemies were never a good thing. This was proven to be true when Fai reappeared, knocking Kurogane to the ground with a blow from a large stick.

Kurogane scrambled to his feet, unsheathing Souhi at last. He turned to Fai with a scowl on his face, but Fai was emotionless. His hands were wrapped around a stick almost as tall as he was. Fai seemed to be channeling his fierce blue and white magic into the stick, using it as a powerful weapon.

Instead of wasting his words on someone who wouldn't hear him, Kurogane shouted over to Ashura, who was keeping a safe distance.

" Do you honestly think I would loose in my own element?" he asked gruffly, raising his sword for emphasis.

" Perhaps, but now it should be a more interesting and even fight," Ashura said, in a tone that showed that he didn't care at all whether the fight was even.

After fighting so many demons in his own world and after many battles in different worlds, Kurogane was confident in his ability to fight against magic. Kurogane suspected that Ashura was making Fai go into combat with a rod so that he would be forced to defend himself with Souhi, and even attack back. In Kurogane's mind, Ashura was just enough of a bastard to pull something like that.

When Fai finally rushed at him with the stick, Kurogane struck back with Souhi, blocking. Strike after strike, this went on. They battled fiercely in circles, waltzing in the rain. Kurogane hissed when the hot stick smacked his arm and burned through his clothing again, scorching his arm. It was pure instinct that made him retaliate and strike against Fai.

Kurogane had expected something once he realized what he had done. He expected Fai to stop and grip his arm; even a wince would have satisfied him. Fai had truly become Ashura's puppet. He was Ashura's emotionless, faceless puppet. Kurogane decided that he needed to find some way to end this battle right then and there.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kurogane spotted Syaoran running across the now slippery field with Mokona on his shoulder. He wanted to shout and tell the kid to get out of there, because he knew that Syaoran wouldn't have been able to take on either Ashura or Fai with his mediocre sword skills. Fai's constant attacks kept him from doing so though, unless he wanted to get an arm chopped off in the process.

The way Fai fought him was strange. He was as swift as he had always been, but his strikes were harder and more brutal than any Kurogane had ever seen him use. Fai moved with a different kind of grace as well. He normally moved in a way that had him nearly floating off the ground in battle, but now his movements were fiercer and more like he were in a stampede. His moves were foreign to him, and Kurogane suspected why.

Kurogane saw the jewel embedded in Fai's forehead, and noticed that it glistened brightly. It was identical to the jewels that Ashura wore on his own head, and those jewels glowed the same way. Ashura had been watching the whole battle, intently focused. Kurogane quickly realized that that was how Fai was being controlled. His urge to see Ashura's blood spilled on the grass was stronger than ever. His grip on Souhi tightened, and he knew exactly what he needed to do.

Just as Kurogane was about to strike though, Fai stopped in his tracks. Knowing there would be no answers from Fai, he looked over to Ashura. What he found there was a certain white manjyu hopping around on a furious Ashura, who was trying to throw it off of him. The Tier seemed to have snuck out there as well, and had begun to gnaw on Ashura's ankle while he was distracted.

" Bet you can't catch me!" it teased cutely as it jumped out of Ashura's grasp. The Tier merely growled and Ashura roughly kicked it several yards away.

Syaoran was a safe distance away, shouting something to the princess. Kurogane couldn't quite hear what it was though. He just knew that his would be his only chance to do what needed to be done, and that Syaoran and Mokona had served as a nice distraction.

When Kurogane turned back to Fai, he was still standing motionlessly. By the time Ashura was able to focus properly on him again, it was too late. Even though Fai had already raised his weapon again, Kurogane had already found an opening and was charging. Instead of striking to kill, he jumped up and struck down hard on the jewel in Fai's forehead. The world slowed to a stop as the gem shattered into dozens of pieces that flew everywhere.

They were both still for several moments. Everything seemed to crash in time to the thunder and no one seemed to know what was going on. Fai seemed frozen in place, his eyes wide in shock. Kurogane sheathed Souhi once again when he saw Fai begin to stumble. Instead of allowing him to crash into the wet grass and mud, Kurogane caught him in a graceful, agile sweep.

Fai's body was stiff and tense and he was clutching his temples with shaky hands, fingers entwined in his hair. His eyes were shut and he was muttering something that Kurogane couldn't quite hear, over and over. Blood dripped from his forehead from the impact of the strike, and possibly having a jewel torn from his face in the first place. The blood swirled with salty tears and Fai's voice became just barely audible.

" Get out, " he hissed softly. Kurogane wondered if it was from the pain or the struggle. " Get out of my head. Get out, get out, get out, get out."

Fai had begun to choke on his words it seemed. Kurogane was mesmerized by what he was seeing. His anger flared when he realized Ashura hadn't disappeared completely from Fai's mind. He wanted to drop Fai on the ground and slice at Ashura until there was nothing left, until he was merely little slivers of skin and bone in a pool of blood.

Kurogane felt Fai's body growing warmer as every second went by. By the time Kurogane looked down, Fai had begun to glow a soft, light blue color. He was shaking a little more now and Kurogane wasn't entirely sure if Fai or Ashura had cast some kind of spell, because he was rather clueless when it came to magic anyway. His princess practiced it, but he had never had any kind of magical ability at all. It might as well have been a different language to him.

Fai chanting had gotten louder, and it didn't sound like any particular incantation. It was the same as it was before --"Get out, get out". Finally though, Kurogane was forced to drop him when the heat became too much for his bare hands. Fai made some kind of sound, for it couldn't rightfully be called a word. It was more of a tortured cry, and with that cry the world became blinding light blue for what seemed like an eternity.

When the world came crashing back, Kurogane found Fai lying on the ground, looking broken, beaten, and half-dead. In a flash Kurogane was there, kneeling on the ground, pulling Fai up to his knees and shaking him for all he was worth.

" Hey!" Kurogane shook Fai vigorously by the shoulders. " Hey, come on! Wake up!"

Kurogane found that he was supporting Fai completely by his shoulders. His eyes were shut lightly, as though he were sleeping. Kurogane turned his head away, shutting his own eyes and gritting his teeth in frustration.

There was no way. There was no way that this idiot was going to pass out on him after all the crap he put Kurogane through. Not after searching all afternoon, not after worrying so much, not after all of he grief that he put Kurogane through. Kurogane became to shake Fai again, harder this time.

" Wake up, damn it!" Kurogane said, realizing he sounded desperate. " You have to wake up. You can't-"

Kurogane's words die there as Fai began to sway on his own, obviously a little disoriented from awakening in a sitting position. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at Kurogane with a tired, weary look.

" Kuro…" he said softly. " …Kurogane? But…what are you...?"

" Doing here?" Kurogane finished rougher than he had meant to. " What the hell do you **think** I'm doing here?"

Kurogane felt Fai stiffen in his grasp again. He seemed to be remembering everything that had progressed there that day, bit by bit. Fai's sleepy gaze had slowly transformed into a look of horror. He looked over at Kurogane's arm, seeing the damage he had caused.

" Y-your arm…" he said soft as a whisper. " I…I did…"

Neither of them could finish his sentence. Kurogane couldn't say he was happy that he had been hurt, but he certainly didn't blame Fai for it. Fai though, Fai was shaking again and he looked as though he might actually cry. He was fighting back tears, a needless battle. Kurogane had to admit that it seemed odd that a grown man would cry; he had certainly never seen that before. It had always been a sign of weakness to him.

" I'm…Kurogane, I-" Kurogane peered at Fai curiously, wondering what it was he was trying to say through unshed tears.

Looking at Fai though, he didn't see someone weak. He didn't see a mess of dirt and blood either. Kurogane saw something beautiful getting soaked in the heavy rain. He saw the real Fai, the one who was always hidden away from the world. He saw the one filled with real emotions and pain.

Kurogane wished he could have stayed there and let Fai cry on his shoulder. Even if he didn't understand these feelings, he wished that he could have at least stayed by Fai's side. This was something he could not do now though. Carefully, as though Fai might fall over again, he let go of Fai's shoulders.

" Stay here," Kurogane ordered.

Fai's teary eyes widened as Kurogane stood. He wore an expression that Kurogane couldn't read. He had certainly never seen it on Fai before though.

" Where are you-?" he began, but Kurogane had already begun to walk off.

" Just stay there," Kurogane said.

Fai watched him walk away, with a confused stare. It wasn't until he had reached his destination that Fai gasped in horrible realization. He couldn't. He wouldn't!Yet he was. Kurogane had left to challenge Ashura. For the first time in a long time, Fai openly wept with the rain.

* * *

(A/N: Ah, this chapter took a bit longer than expected. Thank you for the reviews everyone! I swear, the Tier will be a lot more important, really. I remember that a couple of you were wondering that in your reviews. Again, thank you so much for all of your reviews! I really appreciate them all. : ) Please R&R and the next chapter will be up soon.) 


	10. Curse

**Chapter 10: Curse**

The rain stung Kurogane's wounds, making him wonder how he would fare against Ashura. Kurogane was confident enough in his abilities but Ashura had an advantage; he hadn't been hurt even once yet.

This didn't matter though. All that mattered was making Ashura suffer for everything that he had done that day. Kurogane wanted Ashura to pay for everything that he had ever done to Fai, he want wanted Ashura's blood to spill for creating the fake Fai. He knew that Ashura was responsible for every stiff smile and every goofy gesture.

He unsheathed Souhi once again when he reached his foe. There had never been someone that Kurogane had wanted to kill so badly. If he could have, he would have eaten Ashura alive.

Kurogane could have sworn he heard Fai calling out for him. Was he trying to stop him? He didn't turn to look. Instead he ignored Fai's potential warnings and stood before Ashura in a ready stance.

There was a groan behind him and when Kurogane dared to peer over, he saw Syaoran. He had been hurt badly; there were burns all across his body. Syaoran shakily tried to support himself with his sword. He was wincing from the effort and hissing in pain.

" Please," he said hastily. " Give Sakura back her feather!"

Kurogane looked up at Ashura curiously. He had that girl's feather too? He hadn't heard Mokona beforehand. He wondered vaguely where the stupid white manjyu was, but he only wondered for a moment or so. There were more important things going on; they could find it later.

Ashura chuckled and reached inside his cloak, pulling out Sakura's glowing white feather. Kurogane glared. If he thought that Ashura was going to be a difficult match before, he would be twice as hard with her feather in tow.

" Please, give Sakura back her feather!" Syaoran repeated, shouting this time.

The kid was polite to a fault, he really was. Even though they were in a dire situation, he was still saying 'please' while demanding back his love's feather. Kurogane though it was incredible, but he wasn't sure whether it was incredibly noble or incredibly ridiculous.

" After discovering the potential of this thing, do you really think I'm going to give it back to you?" Ashura laughed at the thought. " Silly boy."

With that, Ashura flicked his fingers in Syaoran's direction. This gesture sent him toppling over and rolling back a several feet. Then, he turned to Kurogane.

" Time flows differently in different worlds, you know," he said. " I've been waiting for you all for a month already."

" You talk too much," Kurogane said, waiting for the right opportunity to slit this man's throat.

" After finding that feather and exposing that…that little bear or whatever it is to it," he continued. " I sent it into the town with entertaining results."

Kurogane tried to attack him then, but Souhi stopped in midair. It was as though someone were grabbing it and refusing to let go, because Kurogane couldn't move it at all. Kurogane refused to relinquish his sword.

" That was incredibly rude," Ashura said pointedly.

All Ashura received in response was a glare. Kurogane continued to try and pull his sword away, desperate for his only weapon.

" So I kept exposing it to the town, driving them into a state of perpetual fear," he said proudly. " Clever, isn't it?"

Kurogane didn't answer properly. Instead he growled something so soft it could not be heard.

" Like I said though, I was waiting for you all, or more specifically Fai," Ashura said. " He was the crucial part. If I had exposed him to the feather's power, he would have been unstoppable. He would have been my most powerful weapon."

It sickened Kurogane when he realized that Ashura only thought of Fai as an object, especially when he knew that Fai was much more than that.

" He's not just a toy for you to play with," Kurogane shouted.

Ashura laughed at that. He laughed a long, hard, sickening laugh.

" You're a fool, Kurogane," he said. " Fai has _always_ been my toy. He doesn't have any other purpose in this life. None at all. He exists only to be my weapon."

" And you're a sick bastard," Kurogane said, still trying to pull his sword away, " who treats people like chess pieces."

Ashura laughed again, but instead of striking Kurogane, he caressed his cheek. His touch was icy cold, but Kurogane found that he couldn't pull away from it. Instead he continued to glare at him and struggle with Souhi.

" You know what I was going to do?" Ashura asked and then answered. " I was going to use him to concur hundreds of worlds, thousands even, so that I could rule them all."

That made Kurogane want to destroy this man even more. If he allowed this man to live, he might attempt to take over his own world. Ashura would kill his princess and he would utterly destroy Fai, and no matter what he had to stop him. He _had _to, if only he could move his sword and attack.

Ashura brought his face in close to Kurogane's, in a move that mirrored one of Fai's. It made Kurogane extremely uncomfortable and it made him want to spill Ashura's blood.

" You ruined that though," Ashura said into Kurogane's ear. " You ruined it all. That is why you have to die."

Instead of gasping, crying out, or appearing shocked in anyway, Kurogane laughed coldly. He may be quick-tempered, but Kurogane had always been an excellent battle strategist. A person could only focus on so many things at once. If Ashura didn't want to drop the feather and still strike him, he would have to let go of Souhi. Kurogane would have a split-second to strike, but that was all that Kurogane needed.

Sure enough, Ashura brought his free hand in front of Kurogane's chest in a sweeping motion. At the same time, Kurogane pulled his sword away and stabbed Ashura in the chest. He would have liked to do something more impressive, but it was all he had time for.

Kurogane hissed in pain. It felt as though he'd been struck three times with a sword. Looking down, he saw that his shirt had been sliced open in three lines, and that his shirt was stained with blood. It could certainly become a fatal wound if he didn't stop the bleeding soon.

Ashura looked as though he was in pain as well. His eyes were wide in fury; he obviously hadn't been expecting Kurogane to pull something like that.

" If I have to die," Kurogane grinned. " I'm taking you to hell with me."

Kurogane watched Ashura with a sickening expression on his face. He couldn't honestly say whether or not _he _was going to die, but he knew for sure that Ashura would. Kurogane had him exactly where he wanted him now. Forcing his own pain out of his mind, he shoved Souhi the rest of the way through Ashura, hearing the crack of bones and the spurting of blood. There wasn't a person alive who wouldn't have made a screamed out at that.

Tilting his sword, Kurogane let Ashura slide off of it and onto the ground in a heap. He peered at the man carefully. His blood was staining the grass, mixing with Kurogane's own dripping blood. Ashura struggled to stand up, but he fell back down every time. Kurogane was certainly that if he left Ashura there he would die eventually, but he didn't want to take that chance. He raised his sword again, striking the coward over and over and over until he couldn't hear Ashura yelling for him to cease anymore. When Kurogane looked down, he didn't see Ashura. He only saw a corpse, mangled and still. The only reason that he knew it was Ashura was the long, black hair resting in a pool of blood.

Kurogane stumbled a bit after that, clutching his chest. Ashura had really gotten him, and it hurt twice as much as anything Fai had done to him.

He looked over to his side and saw Syaoran, who was staring at him in shock. That was right; Syaoran had never seen him brutally murder someone before. He wondered if the boy thought any less of him now that he had seen that. Kurogane decided that he couldn't and wouldn't try to explain himself to him.

Sakura had run out on to the field once the commotion was over with, calling both of their names. Syaoran reached out to her, perhaps to try and shield her from the carnage, but it was too late, she had already seen it all. She had he hands over her mouth and she looked as though she might start crying.

" Kurogane-san," she whimpered. " Syaoran-kun, you and Kurogane-san are very badly hurt! And that other man…"

She didn't need to finish her sentence. No one else felt she needed to either.

Kurogane brought a hand to his forehead. It had begun to burn slightly and he struggled to figure out why. Then he remembered; he had been cursed. If he killed anyone, he would grow weaker. At least that's what his princess had said.

He cried out in pain as the full effect of the curse struck at once. It seemed to painfully suck the energy from his body, draining away everything he had, forcing him to the ground. Kurogane growled in annoyance. He shouldn't be this weak from his curse after killing only one person. It took him a moment to remember that he had been sliced open as well, and that his blood coated the ground around him. Loosing strength now would mean that he wouldn't even have enough to stand back up.

As the mark's burn faded away, Kurogane found himself wondering if he would die there in the blood he'd spilled. He laid on his back, since any other position had him hissing in pain. The rain continued to fall, rinsing the blood from his face. Kurogane almost wished that it was still there, marking his victory.

Perhaps it was all of the blood that he had lost, but Kurogane felt somewhat satisfied. He had done just what he had set out to do. Fai was safe, even if he had been wounded, and Ashura was dead.

Love is…it's when you feel so strongly about someone that nothing else matters.

Yes. Fai was alive and out of that man's clutches. There would never be a need for Fai to ever wear a fake plastic smile again. Ashura no longer held any power over him. Fai would never have to be afraid again.

It's when you would give anything just to be by their side.

Kurogane thought he would have been angrier that his strength had been drained. He thought that when the time came he would be screaming at the sky, damning his princess with whatever strength he had left. Strangely though, he was calm. It had been worth it to kill Ashura. There was no worthier cause in his opinion.

It's when…when you would die just to keep that person safe.

It would be an honorable death if he were to die there. Kurogane found himself laughing under his breath, even if it hurt his chest. Syaoran had turned out to be wiser than his years. That damn kid had been right about everything.

Kurogane could hear and feel someone walking over to him. Their slow footsteps squished awkwardly in the bloodied wet grass. Kurogane didn't need to look up to see who had come over to him. He knew already.

" Kurogane," Fai whispered, his voice trembling.

Fai was nearby, but Kurogane couldn't see him. Just from the sound of his voice, Kurogane wasn't entirely sure he wanted to. Had Fai watched the battle? Kurogane secretly hoped that he had. He took great pride in killing Ashura, more than any healthy man should have.

His foots steps grew quicker; Fai was sprinting now. Kurogane shut his eyes, trying to force the sounds away. It was giving him a terrible headache.

" Kurogane!" Fai cried out, shaking his shoulder lightly. " Wake up, please!"

Fai had been worried about him. Kurogane could feel Fai's hand shaking against his shoulder. It was only then that Kurogane fully realized that he hadn't been moving at all.

" Would you shut the hell up and let me die in peace?" Kurogane growled, opening his eyes, just show that he hadn't died yet.

The first thing he saw was Fai's face, which had grown icy pale. His eyes were wide and fearful and it looked as though he had even been crying. Kurogane couldn't remember Fai ever crying before. His lips trembled and he looked as though he might start again.

" Don't say that," Fai said. " You're not going to die."

Fai sounded more like he was to convince himself of that fact. He shook lightly, but he bit his lip, refusing to cry in front of Kurogane. Instead he slowly pulled Kurogane into an upright position, despite his protests. It was an amazing feat for Fai since Kurogane had sliced open his arm.

" Blood," Fai said shakily. " Got to stop the blood."

Kurogane groaned. Was he really still bleeding? It was no wonder then that he was dizzy. He watched hazily as Fai struggled with his shirt, finally pulling it off completely. Fai began to brutally rip the shirt into strips with much difficulty, but that certainly wasn't what Kurogane was paying attention to. Instead he watched the curves of Fai's slender body and his harsh breaths, in and out, in and out. Blood swirled down his bare arm. Even with his obvious wounds, Kurogane was blinded by his beauty.

Instead of wrapping his own injuries, Fai carefully began to tie the strips around Kurogane's chest, not bothering to rip the rest of Kurogane's blood-coated shirt off. Fai trembled as he did this, choking on his words.

" I-I have to stop the blood," he tried not to sob. " Or else you...y-you'll…"

" You can cry, you know," Kurogane said, as Fai quickly began to finish up the wrappings. They weren't the best, but they would have to do.

Fai looked at him with widened, teary eyes. Kurogane only smiled at that. It may have been the blood loss or perhaps he was just going insane. All that Kurogane knew was that couldn't explain his smile.

" A wise ass once told me," he said, " that it takes strength to cry when you need to."

Kurogane watched as Fai trembled a bit at those words. For a moment, he thought that Fai would ignore his own advice and continue to try and hide his tears. Then out of nowhere, Fai was gripping what was left of Kurogane's shirt and sobbing. There was no hysterical yelling or screaming, just simple quiet tears.

Fai's skin was cool to touch, as Kurogane found out when he wrapped an arm around him. It was the best that Kurogane could offer for comfort. There were no words.

Kurogane didn't know exactly why Fai was crying. Maybe he was crying for his fallen king, or maybe because Kurogane had been hurt. Perhaps it was joy at finding Kurogane alive, or maybe it was sorrow at the thought of him dying. It didn't matter though, because the silence wrapped around them, enveloping them and shielding them from the world.

After several moments, Kurogane thought he heard voices behind them. It took another few minutes for recognition to set in, realizing that it was Syaoran and Sakura.

" Hey, stop! Please don't go over there!"

" Come back! Tier-chan!"

Tier-chan? Kurogane turned his head groggily at the name of the creature that they had dragged along. What he saw behind him almost made his stomach churn. The little black creature had found Ashura's corpse and had begun to feast upon whatever Kurogane had left behind. It wasn't so much the sight, but the horrible noises it made when tearing through the flesh and meat of the body.

Grasped in a hand that could have belonged to anyone at this point, was something that glowed a light pink. It was Sakura's feather, which had long been forgotten about. By the time Kurogane spotted it, it was too late. The Tier had already eaten the entire hand, bones and all.

Whining and growling, the creature fell to the ground. It could have been Kurogane's imagination, but he swore he felt the ground shake. He watched in horror as a pink aura wrapped around it and it began to grow larger and larger, until it was at least ten times its original size.

Kurogane roughly shoved Fai off of him and struggled to stand once again. They had to retreat before the Tier tried to eat them as well. It was hungry and they were all weak from their battle with Ashura. There was no chance of victory and they couldn't die there, an odd thought coming from a man who swore that he was dying only moments before.

Fai stood up quickly when he saw what was happening. He ran right back over to Kurogane though and helped pull him to his feet. Kurogane suddenly felt even dizzier than before, but once he thought he was sturdy he gave an order to Fai.

" Go get that brat and the princess over here," he said, pointing over to where they were, on the other side of the monster. " And get that stupid manjyu too. Go!"

Fai didn't say anything, but he didn't move either. It was clear that he wanted to stay and help Kurogane. All this did was aggravate Kurogane even more.

" Just go!" he shouted. " I'm not some damn cripple! **Now go!**"

Truthfully, he wanted to remain with Fai as well, but they simply didn't have time. They basically had to get everyone together and go; otherwise they wouldn't leave that field alive. Fai nodded in silent agreement and ran as fast as he could.

When Kurogane turned his head though, he met large, glowing red eyes that reeked of something straight out of hell itself. Standing before the Tier, Kurogane realized it must have been twice as big as the first time they fought it. Kurogane also realized that he was right in the line of fire. Instead or being eaten as Kurogane had assumed would happen, the Tier brought one of its paws back and struck Kurogane down.

For a moment, he was flying. Then, he was falling. Kurogane swore he heard someone calling his name loud and clear before everything went black.

* * *

(A/N: Sorry that it took so long to get this up. Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! Just to warn everyone now, I'm going to be away on vacation next week, it might take a little longer to get the next chapter up. On another note, I predict two more chapters. Please R&R and I will try to have the next chapter up soon. : ) ) 


	11. Wings

**Chapter 11: Wings**

Fai watched as Kurogane was struck down by the Tier. For someone his size, it was strange how slowly he seemed to fall, yet from Fai's perspective it took an eternity. Kurogane's name escaped his lips before Fai even realized it in a desperate yell, praying that he was dreaming. Only in a nightmare would Kurogane ever be struck down.

As Kurogane slammed into the ground, Fai felt paralyzed. Far too much was happening far too fast. He wanted to run but his legs refused to budge. His hand slowly crept its way up to his mouth. Fai had felt ill ever since he saw Ashura's corpse and none of the events afterwards had helped it much. He couldn't think and he could barely breathe. Lightening illuminated the scene, making him gag.

Then, without any warning or cause, he was running. Fai couldn't remember ever running so fast before. Upon reflection though, Fai realized that he could and did remember running that fast. He could feel the wind moving through his hair and the way his muscles tightened and the way his heart raced. It was not at all a pleasant feeling, just as most of the memories he had of running were not very pleasant.

When Fai reached Kurogane, everything seemed to disappear. The Tier, the storm, even Syaoran and Sakura seemed to disappear for a moment or so. There was only Fai and Kurogane and the green grass beneath them.

Once he was on his knees, Fai carefully rolled Kurogane over so that he wasn't quite as awkwardly sprawled out. Beyond that though, Fai was unsure of what to do. Kurogane was alive, that much Fai knew simply from the magic that flowed through his blood. There was no way to be certain just how long Kurogane could hold on though.

He felt his teeth clench and for a moment he felt ill again. Fai nearly lost his balance even though he wasn't standing anymore. Guilt ripped through him, it tore at his mind like old cloth. Kurogane had gone out there and fought for Fai needlessly, risking his own life. If Fai could have handled Ashura himself, Kurogane wouldn't be on the ground. If he hadn't been such a coward then Kurogane wouldn't have gotten hurt so badly.

When it came down to it that was all that Fai could bear to call himself. There were much worse things that he felt suited him, but somehow 'coward' rang the truest. After all, he would have never even met Kurogane or anyone else if he hadn't run away from his home world like a scared child. Fai was a grown man and if he had faced his problems like one, no one would have had to get hurt. The thought left Fai in silent tears once again.

For a quiet moment, Fai hated the man laying before him. He hated him for many reasons. Fai hated him for beginning to die, for Kurogane was not supposed to be so easy to kill. Fai hated the fact that Kurogane had wasted his time on a coward like him and he hated that he couldn't even give Fai the comfort of looking peaceful with his eyes shut. He hated that Kurogane made him feel things that he never wanted to feel and things that he had never felt before.

Most of all though, Fai hated himself for being the one who was crying over Kurogane's limp body and not vice versa. Secretly though, Fai believed that he would not have cried. This was Kurogane after all. He would have probably looked a bit grim, but he wouldn't have shed any tears for Fai.

Fai had felt all sorts of different pains that day. Some were physical, some were emotional, and some were just too horrible to describe properly. This was a new feeling though, a new emotion all together. It crept up through the confusion without a sound and took Fai completely by surprise. Whatever it was danced through his throat and his spine and even piercing his heart, putting a new pain in his chest. It didn't really hurt in the same way though, and it really only made itself known when he had stared at Kurogane's body for too long.

" He's still alive," he tried to say, but his voice cracked slightly. Somehow hearing it out loud made him feel just a little better, though it didn't stop the pain. His blood-coated arm was nothing compared to it.

The world slowly faded back, bit by bit. Syaoran and Sakura were on their way over to the two of them and Fai found himself wondering when they had gotten there. Had they been watching this whole time?

" Fai-san," Syaoran gasped for breath. Fai noticed that the boy had been limping and that his lower right leg was coated in blood. " Fai-san, the Tier…"

That was when Fai remembered the rampaging beast that had knocked Kurogane off his feet and into the air. He looked up quickly and saw that it was on the other side of the field, bucking and making the most terrifying noises. Sakura had been trying to balance Syaoran properly so he could walk, but she was having a lot of difficulty doing so. Mokona simply bounced along at Syaoran's side, knowing now was not a good time to hitch a ride on someone's head.

" Fai-san," Syaoran said. " We need to get out of here before it kills us."

Fai nodded slowly in agreement, but before he could try and pull Kurogane upright Sakura gasped and shook her head.

" We can't!" she said. " Can't you tell? It's in pain! My feather is hurting Tier-chan."

Syaoran had an interesting look on his face, like he was unsure of just how to go about telling Sakura she was insane for wanting to stay there. This of course, was Fai's humble opinion really. After all, who would stay? They were caught in a horrible storm in the middle of nowhere and a monster was attacking them. They had no way to protect themselves at all.

" Sakura-hime," he said softly, looking up at her. " I know you want to help it, but it will strike us if we get too close. We'll be killed if we try. We need to go back."

" But we have to do _something_!" she said. Her eyes were wide and worried with the innocence of a child, even though Fai was certain that she must have been in her late teens.

" Sakura-chan," Fai said, his voice sounding a bit weaker than it normally did. " Even if we were to stop and help, how would we? It ate the feather, right? There aren't many ways to remove it without hurting…_Tier-chan_ even more."

Despite all that had happened that day and even despite all of the pain that he was in, Fai found a smile painting its way onto his face, crawling up like an insect that Fai couldn't brush away. The thought of himself smiling at a time like this sickened him.

" There has to be something we can do," Sakura said, glancing around as though she would find an answer lurking nearby.

Syaoran and Sakura both seemed to have an idea at the same time. Slowly, they both turned their heads towards Fai, staring at him. It took Fai a minute to realize exactly what it was they wanted of him.

" Wait," he laughed nervously. " You can't possibly want me to…"

They did though. The two teens were looking at Fai with hopeful eyes, remembering that he had magic within him. The silent request made Fai's stomach churn. He couldn't use his magic, or at least he had spent so long avoiding using it that just the thought gave him shivers. Fai had taught himself long ago that using his magic was bad and that it brought very bad things along with it. If he used big magic, Ashura would find him and then-

Ashura _had_ found him though. Ashura had found him and then Kurogane had murdered Ashura in cold blood. Ashura was gone. He was _gone_ and he was never coming back. So why was Fai still terrified?

" Please Fai-san," Syaoran said. " Sakura's feather…"

Syaoran had that particular way of looking at people that made Fai squirm inside. It was as though he could see right down to his very soul, even as flawed as it was. Fai couldn't very well say no, but he certainly didn't want to say yes. The way they stared at him left him with no other options.

Perhaps sensing Fai's inner defeat, Syaoran put out his hand. Fai took it slowly and the younger boy pulled him up with ease, despite his injuries. Fai was a little shaky on his feet, though not from injury. No, this time his heart was in his throat and he couldn't believe what he was about to do. Either way though, he was going to do it.

Sakura and Syaoran's cheering voices faded as he walked away from them, away from safety and into the lion's den, so to speak. The Tier was still thrashing about the other side of the field and with each step Fai took it seemed to grow larger and larger. He had forgotten just how big the creature was and his usual cowardice was returning. Fai wanted nothing more than to run away into the trees.

He wouldn't run though, not that day. Kurogane had fought gallantly and had fallen. Fai wanted that ability. He wanted to be brave for everyone, for Syaoran and Sakura, for Kurogane. For once, he didn't want to feel as weak as he knew he was. Fai felt his resolve begin to crumble as he stepped over the mass that was once his worst nightmare, staining his shoes red.

He didn't have Sakura's ability to feel the pain of things without voices, but Fai could and did sense the feather within the Tier. He knew exactly what he needed to do; it was simply a matter of summoning the courage to do what had to be done. Fai stopped walking when he saw the Tier look up in a fury. He began to have thoughts of his own death and people surrounding the grave he wouldn't have saying "The poor fool never had a chance." That was really all he really was when it came down to it, a poor fool.

Seeing a new target for its rage, the Tier stormed over, thrashing about. Fai was nervous, more nervous than he had ever been; except he was lying to himself again and that he had been more nervous before this. He raised his arm, shaking as he did so. He wasn't supposed to use his magic; it would get everyone killed! Everyone would die, including himself.

No, wait, that wasn't true. It wasn't true anymore. The blood at his feet was proof that he didn't need to fear Ashura anymore. Ashura was dead. Ashura was dead, and Kurogane had killed him. He was dead, he was dead.

Now Fai had to use his magic to save everyone, not kill, but save. It was then that Fai realized how rarely his magic was used for good purposes like that. His magic had killed so many people, but Fai couldn't recall a single life he had saved with it.

He glanced over at Kurogane's still form across the field. If Fai didn't do this, if he didn't use his magic then Kurogane would die, and then everything that he had done that day would be worthless. Loosing Ashura would be nothing compared to loosing Kurogane. Something burned in his chest when he thought of that and made his eyes water just a little. He wondered what it was, but there was no time to dwell on it. The Tier was getting closer.

As the Tier neared, he felt his feet rising off the ground as they had when he was a child. He had cried back then, confused and unsure of what was happening, but not now. Fai had long forgotten just how wonderful his raw, untainted magic felt. His magic had always been there, but he had suppressed it deep within himself, smothering it and choking it. They were like his wings, but they had been bound so that he couldn't fly. For the first time in years, he pulled the ribbon and let them spread wide.

Fai's arm was no longer shaking and his feet dangled in midair. He could feel that warm, familiar light hoisting him up, twirling around him and crashing in waves. Fai's blonde locks blew in the wind, but somehow the rain didn't seem to touch him.

The Tier seemed taken aback by Fai and the fact that he was suddenly floating, but it still growled and continued on, rampaging in Fai's direction. Fai was not moved by this, and allowed his magic to fly from his fingers and bind the Tier by the legs. The blue and white lights snaked around them, sinking in and creating an invisible restraint. The Tier howled in response, struggling for movement.

Instead of complying, Fai waved his hand for a second and then put it straight out again. His fingers were clenched, as though he was trying to pull something. The whole time, his eyes were closed in concentration. It was a moment or so before a small stream of light burst through the Tier's chest. It cried out as more and more poked their way through, until together all of the little rays formed one light bright enough to blind any ordinary man.

" Tier-chan!" Sakura cried out from across the field. Her eyes were wide with worry, because as the light grew brighter, the Tier sounded more and more like it was being ripped apart inside.

Then just as suddenly as the lights had come, they were gone. Fai opened his eyes as he floated gently down to see Sakura's feather floating two inches from his face. He felt rather heavy when his feet hit the ground. It was then that the realization sank in. Fai had just used his powers; the powers that he had told himself would lead to nothing but death and destruction. The thought alone was enough to make him shake again.

When he reached for the feather though, he saw something that took his breath away. Fai's eyes widen when he saw the Tier, shrunk back down to its normal size, lying on the ground. It wasn't dead by any means, because it was making the most horrifying noises of pain. There were red splotches on its black fur and it appeared to be licking an open wound, trying to find someway to stop the pain. Fai knew that he hadn't been the one to hurt it; it had hurt itself trashing around the way it had. Still though, he couldn't help but feel as though he was somewhat to blame.

Careful not to startle it too much, Fai picked the Tier up into his arms. It tried to jump away from him, but Fai kept it still. Eventually, the creature eased as blue and white lights enveloped it. Fai didn't say a word and kept his eyes shut as he healed the Tier. He wasn't even sure why he had bothered to do so. Fai decided that perhaps it was his guilty conscience, though he knew that healing one creature would not bring back the hundreds that had died by his hand. It didn't take away the fact that he come close to killing Kurogane. Healing the Tier didn't seem to mean a thing at all, and yet he was doing so.

When Fai was done, he let it down carefully. It yipped at him, its health completely restored, and darted quickly over to where Sakura was, ready to jump into her open arms. Fai smiled weakly at that and remembered Sakura's feather. He took it tenderly, as though it would shatter if he touched it the wrong way. It was warm in his hand, like a tiny candle's flame. Infact, if it wasn't a feather, Fai would have thought it was alive.

He walked back to Sakura and Syaoran with a grin on his face, waving the feather like a moron so they could see it. Fai supposed that some habits never really died, and he wondered if his fake smiles would ever really go away.

" I have something for you, Sakura-chan!" he called out to them.

Mokona bounced up on to Fai's shoulder and then up on his head, nestling itself in Fai's fluffy blonde hair.

" You did it!" Mokona cheered happily.

Fai laughed with false cheer, " That I did."

Sakura and Syaoran both wore the same, relieved smile on their faces, though Sakura's was a tad wider. The Tier had curled right up in Sakura's arms and fallen asleep. Fai could honestly say that he was feeling rather tired as well, and that sleep would be very nice after a day like that one. There were still things to be done though, and with that wordless thought, Fai strolled away from the others and over to where Kurogane still lay unconscious. Mokona fell off of Fai's head when he moved.

Fai sighed to himself. He didn't deserve any glory if this is what would come of it. His heart felt as though it were in flames and he wanted to cry again as he remembered the sacrifices Kurogane had made, just to keep him safe. Fai was filled with shame and disgrace. He couldn't bear to face Kurogane again, not yet anyway. So in a move of selfishness, Fai used his magic not to heal Kurogane, but to suspend him in mid air. There was no way that Fai would be able to carry him the entire way back to town anyway.

Kurogane looked so unnatural floating the way he was. His body was limp and hung awkwardly in the air. It was a funny sight and Fai laughed again, though no matter how cheery it sounded, Fai felt ill again.

Fai waved the children over, and they didn't need to be told twice. Mokona had found a new ride on Syaoran's shoulder. Syaoran had taken Sakura's feather for the moment, and Fai couldn't help but smile at the boy's cleverness. If they gave Sakura her feather right away, she would faint and then they would have even more people to carry back with them.

No words were said as they left the field. Infact, none were said the entire way back. None were needed, for the silence was easily understood through the pouring rain.

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((A/N: Guess who's not dead? XD Thank you for all of your awesome reviews everyone, and for being so patient with me. There's one chapter left to go and I _promise_ it won't take a month this time. XD So please R&R and I'll have the next...er..._last_ chapter up soon. : ) ) 


	12. Cornered

**ATTN: **The Rating has been upped from 'T' to 'M'. I repeat, the rating has been changed, and it's all this chapter's fault.

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**Chapter 12: Cornered**

The first thing Kurogane saw was white, the off-white color of a ceiling. For a moment, he wondered if he was actually dead, and if this was what happened to those souls who parted from the waking world. That thought was torn away the moment he tried to move. He was hurting far too much to be dead.

It was only then that the room's other details began to come into focus. Moonlight shone through windows that were just out of his view. Kurogane noticed that he was laying on an old futon and his head was resting on a soft pillow. It was a strange feeling for him to be under sheets, because he was usually the one who would volunteer to sleep sitting up, ready to attack should anything go wrong. Even in his own world, he would never have laid on his back to sleep. It left him vulnerable for attack.

It took a great effort, but Kurogane was able to prop himself up to glance around. A shiver went down his spine and an eerie déjà vu overcame him. The room he had been resting in was the very same room he had given to Fai when they had first arrived in this new world, that day that Fai had been hurt so badly. Kurogane could remember sitting opposite Fai's still form, watching over him.

Fai…

Glancing up with concern in his eyes, he saw Fai sitting across from him against the brick wall, holding his knees and sleeping like a child. His soft blond hair hung in front of his eyes and Kurogane didn't think he looked comfortable at all. If anything, Fai looked like he was going to freeze, since he had turned his shirt into bandages for Kurogane. Instead he wore only torn pants and precious blood stains. Kurogane couldn't help but stare at what had become of Fai, that pitiful, helpless man.

Kurogane rubbed his temple with a hint of frustration. He was never sure what to make of Fai. Kurogane silently wished that Fai could look at least a little peaceful while sleeping. It would give him a certain peace of mind that he didn't have at the moment. Seeing Fai looking worse for wear left him feeling the same. It wasn't sympathy; Kurogane refused to say it. No, it was something else entirely. It wasn't quite foreign, but it wasn't quite familiar either. It was that knot that seemed ever-present in him, tugging and pulling and reminding him of new emotions that he had never felt before, emotions that made him feel weaker than he ever had. Was it love?

A small yawn from Fai made Kurogane look up again in surprise. Fai's eyes fluttered open and he stretched a little. Kurogane could hear a couple of Fai's joints crack, but it didn't look like Fai minded much at all. It reminded Kurogane of the sound of snapping bones, something that he was far too used to.

" Oh…Kuro-pon, you're awake," Fai said in a tiny voice. He offered a sleepy smile.

Neither one of them said anything. Eons and eons passed and not a word was spoken. Every so often, one of them would look as though they were about to speak, but their words would freeze and they would look away. There was nothing to be said. There was nothing that could be said.

" I…thanks," Fai said, looking away from Kurogane. " Thank you. For, um, you know…"

Even after he had allowed the situation several hours to sink in, it still seemed surreal, as though Ashura would come back to life if his name was simply whispered in the dark. Fai couldn't and wouldn't meet Kurogane's eyes.

" Er, yeah," Kurogane said, awkwardly glancing towards the wall. " It was nothing. Forget about it."

They couldn't forget though, neither of them could. Even though the storm had cleared, they could still hear the thunder in their minds and they could still recall everything that had gone down. The images were still fresh in their weary minds and the silence amplified the noise from that day. Something else had crept into Kurogane's thoughts though, slinking and twisting its way around the memories until it was the only thing Kurogane could think of.

" Fai," Kurogane said, subconsciously trying to count how many times he had called Fai by name. " What the hell did he want with you? I think you owe me some answers."

For a long time, Fai didn't answer. When he finally did speak, his voice was quiet and shaking and completely devoid of his usual confidence.

" When I was a child, my magic was uncontrollable," Fai whispered. " It was raw and dangerous, just like it is now. I…I caused a lot of accidents, you could say. Before I knew it, my childhood home was ablaze, simply because I had gotten angry with my parents."

Fai smiled in his usual sad way, because he knew no other way to react. " It's strange looking back on it now. I don't even remember what it was that had made me so mad. All I know is that when the flames died, I became a homeless orphan.

" The people of my town believed I was dangerous, so I was captured and brought to our king," he laughed bitterly. " They wanted to put me to death for the things I'd done. I was a little monster after all."

Kurogane couldn't fathom putting a child to death. It was something that would have been completely immoral in his Japan. It made him wonder about the harsh world that Fai had come from, and it made him wonder if he was really so strange for leaving it behind.

" The king though…the previous king," Fai added, " was a very kind man. His final decision was to keep me at the castle and train me to become his chief magician, his high priest if you will. The townspeople were infuriated, but I was grateful."

" For a while, things were good," he continued. " They were very good. I had gone from being homeless to living in a castle and from being the mast hated thing in the town to one of the king's most precious magicians in training."

Fai paused for a moment, trying to decide whether he could honestly say that things had been wonderful. His hands shook slightly as he continued.

" The king…he introduced me to his son," Fai said, staring at something Kurogane couldn't see. " His son was older than me by seven years, but he still regarded me kindly. He…his name was Ashura."

Kurogane could see that this was the part of the story where things would take a sinister turn, where Fai's words would stray down a dark alley and wait to eat at his heart. He wanted to reach out and tell Fai that he didn't have to go on. He wanted to, but his curiosity prevented that from happening.

" We had become fast friends," Fai smiled weakly, " or at least as good friends a child and an adult can be. But one day, the king mysteriously died and it was up to Ashura to take the throne."

Fai suspected who had murdered the kind king, but he didn't say. Judging simply from Kurogane's expression, he knew it was a mutual feeling.

" I had been fourteen at the time," Fai said. " He told me that he was going to get married, and somehow…it hurt. I didn't want to share him with anyone else." He grinned again, but it was bitter and resentful, " I suppose from an early age I mistook that for love."

" Part of inheriting the throne is inheriting the Ashura family jewels," Fai continued, keeping his eyes away from Kurogane's. " Those were the jewels he had on his forehead. They hold an immense power."

" You mean the things he used to-?" The words had flown from Kurogane's mouth before he could stop them. Fai nodded solemnly.

" Yes," he said, " and that was the rest of my childhood. He manipulated and used me for whatever I could give him at the time." Fai's bitter laugh froze the air around them. " I can't tell you how many mornings I woke up unable to remember the day or even the entire week before. I would count scars that I didn't remember receiving. Sometimes I was his weapon, sometimes I was his friend, and sometimes…"

Fai couldn't finish the sentence. He didn't seem to notice when Kurogane crawled his way over next to him, or rather he pretended not to notice. If he were a better person, perhaps he would have told Kurogane to go lay back down and rest, but Fai had decided a long time ago that there was a dark shadow that loomed over his soul.

" But…but it didn't matter, because he would hold me in his arms and tell me how much he loved me," Fai's voice began to crack. " He said that he loved me and I believed every word of it."

Kurogane peered over at Fai, trying to determine whether or not he was crying. He had his head on his arms, but he was silent as the grave. After a deep breath, Fai rambled on with his story.

" It was extremely heartbreaking to realize that I had been used," Fai said. " I avoided him whenever I could and I could never meet his eyes. The memory lapses never stopped either. Infact, they became more frequent...and longer."

" So…our duel then…" Kurogane interrupted with a darkly concerned look on his face.

" That's right," Fai said. He glanced at Kurogane, looking very tired. " I don't remember any of it."

The silence was unsettling. Rain would have been a soothing melody to their weary hearts, even if they were both cold and waterlogged. The air around them seemed to speak more than words could ever say. Finally, Kurogane clenched his fists and spoke viciously.

" That bastard," Kurogane growled. " If he weren't already dead, I'd kill him."

Fai laughed, but it sounded empty. " And Kuro-pon learns nothing from his curse," he said.

Somehow, Kurogane didn't find it quite as funny. When he didn't respond, Fai began again.

" That's what my tattoo was for, the one the Dimensional Witch took as my payment," he said. " It kept him out of my mind. It was painful, but once I had it all I had to do was wait and play along. That was how I found out what he had been doing to me. It was hard…made me sick."

Kurogane caught something in Fai's voice. He sounded different now, a little more bitter and vengeful. Infact, his overall presence morphed into something Kurogane would have never guessed that Fai was capable of, pure hatred.

" Eventually though, waiting was no longer enough," Fai said. " My country was in war with another. I had been instructed to eliminate their troops, however…"

Fai's voice trailed off there. He glanced down at his hands, remembering how they had been red with the blood of not enemies, but comrades. Without realizing it, his hands began to shake.

" I betrayed them all, just to get to Ashura, or rather, Ashura-ou," Fai felt very far away from Kurogane. His mind was floating miles and miles above the dream that the Dimensional Witch Yuuko had transformed into his reality, and he was terrified that he would crash and burn. "I…I killed them all."

Kurogane wished he could say that he was surprised. He had suspected very early on that Fai had been a combat veteran, and it was the sort of thing that took a mental toll on someone. Something in Kurogane stomach churned when he learned it was an act of treason. It was something that was simply not done in Japan, and only the lowest of the low would relinquish their honor and betray their country that way. Traitors were the usually first in line for execution.

" Ashura-ou was certainly surprised," Fai grinned morbidly. " I think that shock might have been the only reason I was able to defeat him when we finally went into combat." Shifting slightly, Fai's smile faded. " However…I couldn't kill him."

It was true. Even after all of the abuse that Fai had suffered through, and after everything Ashura had done to him, Fai hadn't been able to follow through and kill him.

" I sealed him away instead, with a powerful spell," he said, mentally mourning his assistant, Chi. " Then I ran off like a coward." Fai's eyes met Kurogane's for the first time.

" And that's what happened, ne?" he finished half-heartedly. "That's the whole story."

An uncomfortable silence hung over the room. It was peaceful, and yet at the same time it strangled Kurogane, who wanted to say something but couldn't figure out exactly what it was that needed to be said.

" You're right," Kurogane said, his voice as rough as ever. "You are a coward."

Fai glanced over at him with wide eyes. It was fine when he called himself a coward, but to hear someone else say it only drove the point home. Somehow, it hurt more than he had expected it to. Fai wondered if it was because it was Kurogane who had said it.

" You're an idiot if you think you're a bad person because of it though," Kurogane said. " Everyone can be cowardly sometimes. It's a part of being human, just like no one is going to hate you for breathing the same air."

Kurogane had never been someone that was very eloquent. He was often very Spartan in speech and flowery words, in his opinion, were for little girls and a certain mage sitting before him. He knew very well that his blunt remarks often came across as rude. Thus his words wouldn't exactly be remembered as a brilliant speech, but Kurogane didn't care, so long as he got his point across.

" That was oddly profound for you, Kuro-tan." Fai smiled, but there was little emotion behind it, if any at all.

" Shut up, Mage," Kurogane growled. " Haven't you said enough for one day?"

The words were out of his mouth before Kurogane even realized it. Once again, he had spoken without thinking and this time it looked like it had hurt Fai. At the same time though, it didn't look like it hurt him at all. He was still grinning like an idiot, but Kurogane knew better.

" I suppose you're right, Kuro-wan," Fai said, leaning into the cold wall behind him.

Kurogane knew that his words had stung Fai, but he wouldn't apologize. He never apologized for anything before, because his pride wouldn't let him. Somehow, glancing at the beautifully sad figure beside him, he couldn't help but wish he could throw his arms around Fai to somehow comfort him, and whisper in his ear. Of course, this wasn't something Kurogane intended on doing. Infact, the fact that Fai was making him feel this way and think these things irritated him beyond belief.

Before Kurogane had the chance to say or do anything though, Fai had pulled himself onto his feet. It proved to be a very difficult task, as he felt as though he would collapse at any moment. He was tired, but that was nothing new. He always felt just a little weary, a result of running for so long. In many ways, he never really stopped running. He just began running from different things.

" Well, I'll let you get some rest then," Fai said. " I'm sure you're still sore from…you know."

He laughed awkwardly at himself and began to head for the door. Fai thought that he had kept his final thought to himself, because it was something that he would never have said intentionally, though perhaps he was lying to himself again.

" Besides, I'm probably the last thing you need, ne?"

Kurogane wondered how anyone could say something so incredibly false.

" Don't," he said, once again speaking before thinking.

Fai's hand hovered above the doorknob. He turned his head towards Kurogane, who was still sitting against the wall. He lacked the strength to do anything else.

" Kuro-chi?" he asked, looking bewildered.

There was nothing Kurogane wanted in that moment more than to take back that one word. He found himself boxed into a corner that he had created, and there was only one clear path out. All Kurogane could do, was grit his teeth and continue.

" I…I want you to stay," he said. " I want you to stay here, with me."

In Fai's mind, his knees shook and he collapsed to the ground, shuddering in a fit of ecstasy. It was a statement that seemed to come from nowhere, a statement that he never would have thought Kurogane would say. In reality, one of his hands found its way into his hair, his fingers tangling the blonde locks.

" Funny," Fai said, both amused and surprised, " I was under the impression that you hated me."

Kurogane was about to ask, "When have I ever said that?" but he stopped when he realized that he had, infact, told Fai that he hated him. He had done this on many occasions actually, and it was no wonder that it seemed odd to Fai.

" Maybe I do," Kurogane said. " I still want you to stay though."

Fai didn't say anything for a moment. He stood there dumbly, fighting with himself. Part of him still wanted to leave; this was far too uncomfortable for him to take, for anyone to take. Something tied him in place; something bound him to where he stood.

" Why?" Fai asked. His voice betrayed his smiling face. " I'm an idiot and a coward, and I'm most certainly replaceable. There's nothing extraordinary about me, nothing that would appeal to you."

Kurogane had stopped listening only a few words in, and clutched the wall behind him. Slowly and painfully, he forced himself first to his knees and then to his feet. Fai did nothing but watch and admire the strength that he did not possess.

Without uttering a word, Kurogane sort of hobbled over to Fai's place by the door, though even hobbling he radiated amazing spirit and determination. When he finally made it over to Fai, he clutched Fai's shoulders, mostly to keep himself upright.

" Because," he said. Kurogane wasn't a man of flowery words. He could say it a thousand times and it would never be as eloquent as the way Syaoran had put it. As long as the point came across though, it didn't matter to him. " I don't know what the hell I would do without you anymore."

It's an almost supernatural feeling, a spiritual connection, when two people understand each other so completely that words can only cripple them. It's something that can be felt in the air around them. It crackles and burns, and it sparks. So when Kurogane and Fai subconsciously pulled closer nothing was said, when they leaned in there were no sweet words before their first kiss, and when they tumbled down onto the futon, discarding their bloody garments, neither of them spoke, except for sounds of spontaneous passion.

Anyone passing outside may have seen a mystical blue glow from the upstairs bedroom window and may have been utterly captivated. Of course, there was no one out at that ungodly hour. There was only Fai, Kurogane, and the rope that tied their hearts in knots.

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((A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I'm really sorry this is so late. I'm been really busy lately, and I've been working on it a little bit at a time for a long time now. It really should have been up a lot sooner than this. Actually, it was supposed to be a lot longer than this, but I decided to split it into two chapters. Which means that, yes, you guys get one more chapter. : ) I'll try my hardest to have that real last chapter up for next weekend. So please R&R and I'll have it up soon.)) 


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